OTTAWA (Reuters) - Finance Minister Ralph Goodale said on Tuesday that he still needs time to complete his policy paper on bank mergers, raising fears that it might not see the light of day if the minority Liberal government, enmeshed in a kickbacks scandal, is forced to call a snap election for June.
"It's not ready to go yet ... And I'm anxious to get on with it as soon as I can. There are other issues that I obviously need to focus on as well. But we'll get it into the public domain as soon as we can," Goodale said.
In 1998 the ruling Liberal government blocked two proposed bank mergers and a federal policy paper has been put on hold ever since. Goodale said last month that the paper would be ready by the end of the year.
But the government is now in the midst of political scandal that could encourage the opposition parties to force a June election.
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