Liberal MP's and senators unanimously endorsed Michael Ignatieff as interim party leader on December 10th -- ending Stephane Dion's tenure as party chief. Ignatieff said he was prepared to bring down the Harper government and form a coalition government. But he said it would all depend on Stephen Harper and what's in the federal budget on January 27th. (Ignatieff's road to the helm of the party was cleared when fellow Toronto MP Bob Rae dropped out of the contest. Ignatieff was to be acclaimed as permanent leader at the Liberal convention in Vancouver in May.)

Date: 2008-12-10
Placeline: OTTAWA, Ontario.
Source: The Canadian Press
Length: 30 seconds

Transcript Prediction: << I am prepared to vote non-confidence in this government and I am prepared to enter into a coalition government with our partners if that is what the governor general asked me to do but I also made it clear to the code to the caucus this morning is that no party can have the confidence of the country if it decides to vote now against the budget that it hasn't even read >>

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