TORONTO – Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper has launched his book tour by preemptively gagging any journalist interviewing him to avoid any unexpected questions.

CTV’s Question Period host Evan Solomon struggled as a literary agent and staffers stuffed a wad of gauze in his mouth before locking the ball gag in place before the interview started.

The interview began with Canada’s 22nd Prime Minister lobbing his own soft-ball questions and answering them.

“Now Steve…I can call you Steve, right?” asked Harper to himself.

“Yes, we can drop the formalities, Steve,” he replied.

“Right, well, your new book explores populism and how intellectually feeble left-liberalism is, and how, had you still been Prime Minister, things would be much better. Why are you the best Prime Minister we’ve ever had, and, perhaps, should have back?”

Harper bantered back and forth with himself concluding that everyone should buy at least two copies of his 171 page book.

Near the end of eight-minute interview, a bag was placed over Solomon’s head after he tried to get help using his eyes.