The Conservative minority government wants a mandate to govern, and it's up to the opposition whether an election is triggered, says a senior Tory cabinet minister.

"We want to be clear that the alternative that is not available is obstruction in the House of Commons," Industry Minister Jim Prentice told CTV's Question Period on Sunday.

The broad areas that Tuesday's Throne Speech will address are economic management, criminal justice, the environment and Afghanistan, Prentice said.

If the opposition approves the Throne Speech, the government will recognize that as a mandate to govern, he said.

"As the Prime Minister has said, we expect that the House of Commons and parliamentarians will work with us to implement that mandate. If they choose not to at any time on a major, substantive piece of the agenda, that could precipitate an election. That would be their choice."

Prentice wouldn't speculate on how much longer the current Parliament would last before an election is triggered.

The Conservatives have 126 seats in Canada's 308-seat Parliament. The Liberals have 96, the Bloc Quebecois 49 and the NDP 30 seats. Independents hold three seats and four are vacant.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion told Question Period said his party will make its decision after he hears  the speech, but he feels it's clear the Conservatives are looking for an election.

"If it is a Throne Speech that we don't fully agree because it isn't a Liberal throne speech but it has been done in a reasonable way," his party would likely support it, he said.

"If we have a very right-wing, radical Throne Speech, it will be different."

NDP Leader Jack Layton told Question Period his party has a mandate to oppose the direction the Conservatives want to take -- as do the other opposition parties.

He wants the government to change direction on climate change and Afghanistan -- but conceded that in a recent meeting, Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave no indication he would change direction.

Layton asked whether Dion would compel his MPs to show up for a vote on the Throne Speech and take a position on the Harper government.

"Are the Liberals all talk about that or no action?" he asked.

A dozen Liberals stayed away on the Afghanistan vote in 2006, giving the Harper government a four-vote margin to extend the Afghanistan mission, he said.

The full NDP caucus will be present for any vote on the throne speech, he said.