TORONTO (AP) - Canada’s opposition parties have agreed on the principals of a deal to topple the government and form a new government, an official said.

The opposition Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois have been discussing forming a coalition government despite a national election that just happened in October, arguing Prime Minister Stephen Harper has no solid plan to deal with the global economic crisis.

The Liberals and New Democrats have agreed that the Liberals would have 19 cabinet ministers in the coalition government and that New Democrats would have six, a New Democrat party official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the parties are not ready to publicly announce the deal. The official said discussions on other aspects on the agreement continue and a deal is close to being finalized.

Harper’s Conservatives won enough votes in the Oct. 14 election to stay in power, but the party has a tenuous hold on power because it did not win a majority of parliament’s 308 seats and must rely on opposition support to pass budgets and legislation.

It’s not clear if Liberal leader Stephane Dion would become prime minister should Harper be toppled in a vote of no confidence on Dec. 8. The Liberals are in the midst of a leadership race after Dion said he would step down in May following October’s election loss.