Another election in six months?

[wulfie68]

I will buck the trend here and admit that I don't like the idea of a coalition, especially one that doesn't have the support of the party that elects the most MPs. While it may be legal and constitutionally acceptable, it smacks of a lack of ethics: a willingness to seize power at all costs, while demonstrating that your party was unable to win it on their own merits. A coalition taking power from a minority gov't doesn't espouse a vision for what the leaders want to build but rather projects an attitude that the views of some cannot be allowed at any costs. That is not an attitude that is going to heal the country but rather accentuate and aggravate the regional divides that threaten to rip the country apart.

 

[Machjo]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Einstein.

Sometimes the obvious needs to be pointed out as a reminder.

Ah you can see the future>>>> who will govern next and what will they do???

you say NDP-Bloc-Green cannot form coalition, now who is to say they may not recieve more seats that it may happen??
May be unlikely I agree, however, many may just want to try change as neither lib or con have really acted as they say on campain trail!!

Minority would be best in my view, either get more would persure things without much opposition could prove destructive for our country!!

Sure if the Greens, NDP, and Bloc together could form a majority coalition, that would be totally legitimate in my opinion in that at least they've all accepted the principle of coalition government. In fact, any of those parties could form a coalition with either the Liberals or the Conservative party without breaking their promises since they have not ruled out such a coalition. The liberals and the conservatives though would have to break a campaign promise to do the same.

I will buck the trend here and admit that I don't like the idea of a coalition, especially one that doesn't have the support of the party that elects the most MPs. While it may be legal and constitutionally acceptable, it smacks of a lack of ethics: a willingness to seize power at all costs, while demonstrating that your party was unable to win it on their own merits. A coalition taking power from a minority gov't doesn't espouse a vision for what the leaders want to build but rather projects an attitude that the views of some cannot be allowed at any costs. That is not an attitude that is going to heal the country but rather accentuate and aggravate the regional divides that threaten to rip the country apart.

How is it unethical? in the Westminster system, each candidate runs on a first-past-the-post electoral system. Though many might believe they're voting for a party, in reality they are voting for an MP, not a party, As such, each MP has the implicit blessing of his constituents to ally himself with any other MP. Parties are a recent anomaly.

Speaking of ethics, I think consistency plays a role too. If one says that the party with the most seats must win, then it implies that he believes parties and not MPs shoud dgovern. As such, if he believes in consistency, he should also support proportional representation to back up his belief inthe party over the MP. On the other hand, if he defends the current electoral system of voting for MPs rather than parties, then he must also support the idea that parliament consists of a collective of MPs, each one being free to coalesce on his own.

To defend First past the post and then insist the party with the most seats wins is inconsistent and thus hypocritical.

I personally would rather we remove parties altogether and keep first past the post, but then I don't pretend parties matter either. Though I disagree with Harper and May concerning proportional representation, I'll at least grant them this, that they are consistent in their belief in party politics.

 

[Durry]

Harper has majority in the bag now. He just has to make sure he doesnt screw it up in the next three more weeks.

The Libs in the Government will continue to leak stuff in an attempt to bring Harper down.

 

[Machjo]

Honestly, I don't trust any of them enough to give any of them a majority. No, i don't want another election in a year or two, but my hope is that after repeated minority governments that eventually the electorate would be so sick and tired of poointless election after election that they'll finally vote in candidates who are willing to work with Parliament and not view it as just a place where politicians 'bicker'.

 

[Durry]

Honestly, I don't trust any of them enough to give any of them a majority. No, i don't want another election in a year or two, but my hope is that after repeated minority governments that eventually the electorate would be so sick and tired of poointless election after election that they'll finally vote in candidates who are willing to work with Parliament and not view it as just a place where politicians 'bicker'.

In this day and age of electronics, you wonder if the opposition is of any real use at all. The only thing they want to do is to make the ruling party look bad so that they can look good.
Just how is this supposed to benifit the taxpayer.
I want to put a party into power to do a job and after 4 yrs, I will decide if they are worthy of another term. I dont really need an opposition party at all. I don't see how they add any value to the management process except to cost me a lot of tax money!!

 

[Machjo]

In this day and age of electronics, you wonder if the opposition is of any real use at all. The only thing they want to do is to make the ruling party look bad so that they can look good.
Just how is this supposed to benifit the taxpayer.
I want to put a party into power to do a job and after 4 yrs, I will decide if they are worthy of another term. I dont really need an opposition party at all. I don't see how they add any value to the management process except to cost me a lot of tax money!!

Voting in more independent MPs (or at least less partisan ones) would likely help, since they'd be more inclined to work together rather than against one another. That's why I cringed at both Harper and Ignatieff being so opposed to coalitions.

Reducing the overall number of MPs would likely help too.

 

[Durry]

Reducing the overall number of MPs would likely help too.

Yes, I think this would help a great deal. Maybe if you don't meet a certain threshold of seats, your out ???

 

[Machjo]

Yes, I think this would help a great deal. Maybe if you don't meet a certain threshold of seats, your out ???

What do you mean? Leave it at first past the post, but just remove party names from ballots. No more party caucuses, only a caucus of the House, and have Parliament select our PM.

 

[Topaz72]

I really like to see a Lib/NDP government because they would both work together have the right balance to make this country great. I would even like to see the merging of the two into the Liberal democrats. As one listens to both of these leaders, one knows that they care about Canadians and their families, I can't say that for conservative./reform/alliance party, CRAP!

 

[CDNBear]

I really like to see a Lib/NDP government because they would both work together have the right balance to make this country great.

I think Canada is great already. Why don't you?

I would even like to see the merging of the two into the Liberal democrats.

Double your pleasure.

As one listens to both of these leaders, one knows that they care about Canadians and their families, I can't say that for conservative./reform/alliance party,

You can't say that for the Liberals or the NDP either.

CRAP!

Quite.