I am not sure how important it is for the supporters of the NDP that banks not be allowed to merge but if it important today is not a heppy day.
...Canada's New Democratic Party is prepared to drop its opposition to bank mergers if the government ensures that lenders don't close branches or increase banking fees, a party official said.
The New Democrats, the smallest of Canada's three opposition parties, will send a letter to Finance Minister Ralph Goodale this week setting out conditions for its support of mergers, said Judy Wasylycia-Leis, the member of parliament responsible for financial affairs.
``We're prepared to rethink our historically held position to bank mergers if these areas of significance and consequence are addressed by the government,'' Wasylycia-Leis said in a telephone interview.
The New Democrats would join the Conservative Party and Bloc Quebecois in backing bank mergers, making it harder for the government to blame the opposition parties for its failure to introduce guidelines allowing banks to merge.
There is one easy way to ensure that Canadians have access to longer hours and lower fees, further open the market to foreign competition. Somehow I don't see the NDP going for that one.
