Comments on: No Election Needed to Replace Harper

By: MadHacktress

MadHacktress — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:15:45 +0000

Yeah, well… that’s why I went to Librarian school, I guess. ;)

I stand corrected.

By: wilson61

wilson61 — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:02:13 +0000

Get out your calculator. Libs + Bloc is still a minority. The Speaker doesn’t vote, except to break a tie.

By: MadHacktress

MadHacktress — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:50:54 +0000

Yeah, ideologically a marriage of the NDP and the Liberals is the most likely thing to happen, but going from a minority to a different minority is unlikely; though possible.

I know that it’s unlikely, also, that the Liberals and the Bloc could get together to form a majority but it would work. They would make a majority.

The three opposition parties have worked well together over the past thirteen months. A number of European parliaments are run by coalition governments. It doesn’t seem like a horrible option for Canada as well.

In my opinion it would be better than yet another election that is likely to give us just yet another minority.

By: Drew Adamick

Drew Adamick — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:45:40 +0000

I do not see the Bloc cooperating with any political party unless it will let Quebec become its own sovereign nation- which I may say is NOT good for Canada (but I’ll always believe an independent Quebec would not last long- look at the rate they spend???) Even a Liberal-NDP coalition would require support from the Bloc or the neo-Tories on bills- again- not likely to happen. If the Tories lose a confidence vote, there will have to be an election as it would be practically impossible for any other party for try and form government due to numbers, ideology, etc.

By: Matt Arnold

Matt Arnold — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:39:43 +0000

They could ally with the NDP, but since it would still be ~10-20 seats short of a majority, I think it would be highly unlikely that the GG would accept it. Since the odds of them being able to pass anything would be low, I doubt the GG would let them even try. Possible, but you never know.

By: A Quantum Liberal

A Quantum Liberal — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:32:22 +0000

Couldn’t they ally with the NDP? Combined, the NDP and Liberals have more seats than the Conservatives do now. Why would they actually need to have a “majority” number?

By: Matt Arnold

Matt Arnold — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:20:50 +0000

If the house loses a non-confidence vote, the GG has the power to declare any other party as the governing party. So if she thought that the Libs could hold steady office, she could appoint them. I think it’s very unlikely, since I don’t see the Libs allying with the Bloc, which is what they would need to do that.

By: A Quantum Liberal

A Quantum Liberal — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:13:27 +0000

“After a vote of no-confidence (or any time, really, I think) the Governor General has the right to seek a coalition rather than to call an election.”

Could you elaborate on this please? Or post a link? I’ve been trying to learn more about this issue over the past few months but I haven’t been very successful. I’m afraid I never paid attention to politics or anything but science and mathematics back in school.

Thanks in advance.