An amusing thought

[james_davis_nicoll]

Currently we have 4 major parties, three of whom (the CPC, the NPD and the Bloc)
have never been able to form national governments on their own thus far in their history. At least one of them is mathematically incapable of forming a national government, because it only runs candidates in Quebec.

What if the Liberals join this august group? What if for the next twenty years or so all we get is a succession of minority governments?

I suppose the most efficient way to achieve is for the Liberals to suffer a split not entirely unlike the one that divided the PCs post-Mulroney.

Comments

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

It seems like that would guarentee nothing getting done and we're actually already fairly good at extending the decision making process.

[dawn-guy.livejournal.com]

All the federal political parties need to learn how to behave and get things done in a minority government. I'm pissed at the thought of having to go to the polls again, probably for another divisive minority government which may fall within a year.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

What if the Liberals join this august group? What if for the next twenty years or so all we get is a succession of minority governments?

You'll be living in late 20th C. Italy? (/snark)

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Which is still one of the largest economies on the planet, right?

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

"In a shocking turn of everts, no MPs were elected in the 2005 election."

Soon after

"Harper takes results as mandate!"

[joenotcharles.livejournal.com]

There's only nothing getting done right now because nobody's used to minority governments so (until yesterday) they weren't making any deals. If the Liberals splintered, which I don't really see happening, after 3 or 4 minorities in a row we'd start getting used to coalition governments.

[sunshaker.livejournal.com]

Maybe the Green Party will win a few seats...

[(Anonymous)]

You'd probably get a system similar to here in the Netherlands, where a coalition government hammers out a coalition accord beforehand, detailing what will be done for the next few years and who will get which posts.

It is not necessarily an improvement in open, democratic politics.

Martin Wisse