Preparing for a coalition government debate

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Could the outcome of the October 2015 federal election be a minority parliament where the issue of a coalition government becomes the key political question?

Voting day is still ten months away, but earlier this week Globe and Mail columnist Campbell Clark reported, "An aggregate of polls compiled by threehundredeight.com puts [Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives] at 32 per cent, four points behind the Liberals, effectively neck and neck to form a minority government."

And earlier this month, CTV's Don Martin made a series of new year's predictions speculating that, "A Conservative minority government will be elected following a shaky foreign affairs policy performance by Justin Trudeau in the leaders’ debates, which cost him the lead in the polls. The Harper government will be toppled after losing a Throne Speech confidence vote in late November. A deal to support a Liberal government for two years will be inked by the NDP in exchange for enacting a national daycare program."

The Globe and Mail's Clark has also noted, "For Mr. Harper, winning a minority government in 2015 probably isn’t winning at all. This time, opposition parties would face a lot more pressure to oust him quickly. This will be the year when a minority PM must become a majority man. ...If he wins only a minority government, anti-Harper voters won’t appreciate an opposition party that props him up in power."

More at: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brent-patterson/2014/12/preparing-coalition-government-debate

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I say do it! Its actually the best outcome possible. Not only only would ~ 60% of Canadians have a say in government for the first time in years, it would actually allow the Libs and NDP to showcase their true colours. Good governance, instead winner take all politics would be refreshing.

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. Something's missing

Puts who at 32 per cent?- your paste doesn't say- the Greens? NDP?

I would support a Green/NDP coalition govt. If it would oust Harper.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. Harper at 32 I believe.

I think the NDP are polling around about 22%. A Green-NDP coalition would be awesome, but irrefutable video evidence of Trudeau eating kittens alive or something worse be required to bleed off that much support. And even then, many Liberals would rationalize eating kittens.

[alcina]

3. I agree about the kittens

At least as far as the liberals rationalizing the feasting on such. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the conservatives could somehow find "evidence" of this. After all, aren't they now following the US playbook for political advertising? "Mr Trudeau denies that he's ever eaten a kitten for lunch, but he refuses to answer questions about other meals.... "

[Posteritatis]

4. Harper's been flooding the radio with attack ads for months

Two or three every hour, all attacking Trudeau constantly.

[alcina]

5. I've heard some

They're appalling. I sure hope Canadian voters don't do something stupid. Again.

[Posteritatis]

6. I imagine the other parties will point out the $1B/mo Ottawa's spending on them.. (nt)