Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stated his concern that Egypt’s coming political regime could be “worse” than that of toppled president Hosni Mubarak.

In a taped interview with Australian television channel CTV (scheduled to air Monday night), Harper, said that, although some Egyptian political forces wanted democratic change, others wanted a system worse than the previous one.

He went on to note that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing that they were both “concerned” about the future of Egypt’s 32-year-old peace treaty with Israel, which, Harper said, had benefited both countries.

The Canadian PM conceded that Egypt’s ongoing parliamentary polls – the nation’s first since Mubarak’s February ouster – represented a “positive step.” He went on to assert, however, that certain minorities in Egypt – such as Coptic Christians – continued to face oppression.