Stephen Harper Refuses To Speculate On What Stephen Harper Will Do Next

    PM doesn't want to guess what the PM could do in a matter of days.

    Paul McLeod
    by Paul McLeod

    BuzzFeed Political Editor, Canada

    Big news! Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a rare one-on-one interview today. And unlike other times it was with an actual reporter, Bloomberg's Ottawa Bureau Chief Theo Argitis. And it's at a time of rampant early election rumours.

    Bloomberg TV

    The election date is fixed at October 19, but almost everyone in Ottawa is expecting Harper to drop the writ any day now. So Argitis asked what his plan is.

    "I don't speculate, and I particularly don't speculate on my own actions," Harper said.

    Blair Gable / Reuters

    Stephen Harper apparently believes Stephen Harper is a wild card. And Stephen Harper, for one, is not going to be burned again trying to guess what Stephen Harper will do next. Can you blame him? After, all past rumours of Stephen Harper calling a spring election or stepping down proved to be untrue.

    Truly it is folly for anyone, least of all the Prime Minister of Canada, to speculate on what Stephen Harper will do next.

    But Harper did speculate about the actions of another world leader...

    Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

    Harper accused Barack Obama of having "peculiar politics" and ignoring both science and the American people in his taking so long to make a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline.

    Harper speculated the pipeline will never be approved by the Obama administration.

    “Notwithstanding the facts, a positive decision has not been rendered for quite some time. That’s obviously not a hopeful sign," he said.

    In fact, Harper even speculated on the actions of future presidents, saying Keystone will be approved by a future administration even if Obama does nothing.

    He may have spoken too soon. Mere moments after the Harper interview aired the White House signalled it was planning to make a final call on Keystone.

    Alexander Panetta @Alex_Panetta

    Oh. White House asked whether Keystone file will be resolved "during this administration," spox replies: "Yes." Make of that what you will

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    So a decision is coming. But when? We can only speculate.