I read an interesting blog on
The Hill Times today, and thought that given the recent coalition agreement in the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, that Canadians might be more palatable to the idea of a coalition in
Canada after the next general election (since the idea of a majority government seems to be an impossibility for at least the foreseeable future.
One of the most interesting passages I read was this:
‘...the absurdity of 70 per cent of the Canadian political landscape that believes in climate change, abortion, and same sex marriage being ruled by the 30 per cent who don’t.’
It would, of course, be entirely constitutional under our current system for any of the opposition parties, or any combinations thereof, to form a Government at the invitation of the
Governor General. The most probable combination (based on political alignment) would seem to be
Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition with the
New Democratic Party.
So, my question is this:
Should the Liberals and New Democrats attempt to form a coalition to oust the governing Conservatives after the next general election?
Source
It would seem to me that a responsible Governor General would not hand power to a minority government. Either the party has a majority in the House, sufficient parties form a majority coalition, or Parliament votes in its Cabinet.
The option of a minority government should simply not be an option, and I hope the next GG will give it to a majority, be it party or coalition, for the sake of stability.
Let's look at it this way: If a party can neither get a majority nor form a majority coalition, then how can we honestly expect it to work with the other parties in the House in a constructive manner? Worse yet, how can we believe it can establish friendly agreements with other countries too?
I voted option 3 myself.
If the only thing the NDP and the liberals have in common is a dislike of the Conservative Party of Canada, such a coalition is guaranteed not to last.
Now if we were talking about parties with overlapping objectives for society, then maybe.
But if you wanted a coalition to be more effecive, you may want it to form prior to the election and run as a coalition so as to not split the vote. For example, let's say a Liberal-NDP coalition were formed prior to the next election, to take effect next election, then come next election, the two parties would merge as a coalition and run as such, with one candidate representing the coalition in each riding.
If that happened, the Conservatives would be in hot water. As for any party that has received any significant number of votes last election, the Greens would come closest to the CPC, and yet even tey are closer to the Liberals and NDP, and would choose if they had to to form a coalition with the Liberals and NDP. This would essentially leave the Conservatives with the Libertarian Party, or maybe the Christian Heritage Party, both of which are anathema to one another.The Canadian Progressive Party would have a hard time deciding whether to join the Liberal-NDP or the CPC. For all intents and purposes, the Conservative Party would be cornered.
Interesting indeed, since there is not an independent consensus among the Opposition Parties members, on those matters. The Parties themselves may hold that as a platform issue. But it is egregiously absurd to think the Opposition Party members are 100% on board for each and every aspect of those issues.
I hope you don't support this undemocratic, unethical nonsense Chris? I mean on the grand scale of things, this would out do anything the Conservatives have ever done wrong.
The very nature of the division between these Parties is how they were elected by succinctly different groups of the populace. Thus making any Coalition Gov't an unelected governing body.
It may be constitutional, but it would only remove all doubt about the moral and ethical bankruptcy of the LPoC, NDP and the BQ.
An unequivocal NO!
Any Party so much as entertaining the idea, isn't fit to sit in the House. I find it curious that you didn't make your feelings known. I find it interesting that you bring this up now, so close on the heels of the last attempted coup.
But I have to ask Chris, why? What is so bad about the CPoC that you would think whoring yourself politically is justifiable?
Seriously Chris, I'm sure you've seen my list of Liberal bad acts. The Bloc is a partisan political party, period. The NDP are so wacky, I wouldn't let them run a sideshow.
Now, please show me, prove to me, the Conservatives are so much more abhorrent then over 200 acts of unethical/immoral/criminal behavior, the separation of the country and an anti business/pro socialist regime. So that I would want them ousted in such an unethical manner. Make me want to subvert a duly elected Gov't, and replace it with a Coalition not elected by the people. Make me believe throwing democracy out the window is the right thing to do.
Make me a believer too Chris.
Though I'm not too fond of a Liberal-NDP coalition, I can say that in a democracy, the majority rules. Sure it can often degenerate to mob rule on either side of the spectrum, but still a majority coalition in the House has more legitimacy, at least democratically, than a minority party standing alone.
Then again, if such a coalition were built, chances are the Conservative Party would move left rather quickly. If that happened, maybe it could sweep up the Progressive Canadian Party and just become the old Progressive Conservative Party again. If that happened, the Green Party could potentially collapse with red greens going to the Liberal_NDP coalition and blue greens going to the new conservative party. Either that of the green Party would remain independent and take the centre votes.
Such a coaltion would cause a change as radical as when the Reform Party had swept to power.
