Harper Pledges No Surprises

The prime minister says there's no need to fear a hidden agenda – he'll govern based on the humble platform he ran on.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised at a post-election news conference not to stray from the modestly conservative platform that his party ran on during the campaign. Saying that Canadians aren't too keen on surprises from the party in power, a visibly relaxed Harper, fresh off of winning his first majority government, said he intends to engage the provinces on how to deal with looming health-care issues while hinting there might be tough funding decisions to make once the current accord expires in 2014-15. In one radical departure, however, the typically alcohol-averse prime minister admitted to taking a swig of champagne after winning.