OTTAWA — Although he's taken pains to insist the outcome of the election is up in the air, Stephen Harper has already drawn up a "small list" of advisers who could help him keep a fractious minority Parliament together.

The Conservative leader also suggested in a weekend interview with The Canadian Press that a Tory minority government would be more stable than the one which crumbled Nov. 29 following months of legislative paralysis and bitter, partisan feuding.

It's another sign of growing confidence in the Tory camp, despite their strategy of not looking too eager for power.

One of the principal people on Harper's calling list, should he win, is John Hamm, Nova Scotia's retiring Tory premier, who has used a mixture of country charm and political cunning to survive 29 months in a minority position.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is also rumoured to be on the list of advisers but Harper refused to confirm that.

Mulroney's shadow isn't very far from Harper in this campaign. Senator Marjory LeBreton, a former Mulroney adviser, is part of the campaign team and former chief of staff Hugh Segal is also hanging around.

Harper was more interested in steering the conversation back to Hamm, whom he described as "a model of integrity."

"Dr. Hamm is somebody I've been talking to regularly in recent times and a little bit about minority Parliament," he said.

"He's been a good adviser. He's one of a fairly small list of people whom we would consult with on a regular basis in a minority situation."

Harper declined to say what kind of advice he's received from Hamm so far, other than to admit it was thoughtful.

In a message clearly aimed at his rivals, particularly NDP Leader Jack Layton, Harper said he's willing to make compromises in dealing with them.

"I have a history, in terms of reuniting the (Canadian) Alliance and the Conservative party in being able to bring people together without asking people to sacrifice their most fundamental beliefs," Harper said.

"That's what you have to do in a minority Parliament. You do have to make compromises, but they can't be compromises that ask your own party or other parties to stand on their heads and swallow themselves whole."

Implementing his party's five key priorities, which include a comprehensive crackdown on crime, cutting the GST, an annual child-care benefit, a patient wait-time guarantee and a federal Accountability Act to help clean up the federal government, is his starting point.

If elected, he's willing to enterain Liberal and NDP ideas as long as they fall within the Conservatives' "general philosophical framework."

Harper said he takes encouragement from the fact Hamm has managed to find so much common ground with New Democrats _ something that might be transplanted to the federal level.

In recent days, the Conservative leader has been reaching out to the NDP, but Layton was quick to slap down any notion of co-operation. Harper dismissed the rebuke, saying the NDP leader is electioneering and pushing his own agenda.

Harper says he would govern on an issue-by-issue basis, without a formal coalition, if given the chance. Hamm used a similar approach, cutting deals with opposition parties on an individual basis in order to get his way.

Harper suggested he would have an easier time in Parliament because there are different combinations and parties with which to choose alliances.