Reply #13: ^^^ that's the important bit

[iverglas]

Even if the Conservatives *did* win a plurality, that does not mean that they would necessarily form the government.

The NDP and/or Bloc could make an arrangement with the Liberals -- short of a coalition, just a vote-by-vote or other arrangement -- to support the Liberals if they went to the GG and sought to form a government.

It doesn't *have* to be the party with the highest number of seats in the house that forms the government.

Now, the NDP, at least, would want to be very careful there. If "the people" thought that they had turfed the Liberals, the NDP wouldn't gain much from helping the Liberals climb right back onto the top of the heap.

There'd have to be a lot of consideration of things like popular vote, in addition to seat counts, and so on. One would hope that the good of the country might come first, and that if the NDP could bring about a Liberal government even if the Conservatives had more seats, they would do it.

Like I've said, I hate Liberals, but I hate Conservatives more and I'm not about to cut off my nose to spite my face. I'm happier with the present Liberal minority government, or another Liberal minority government, than I am likely to be with anything else that might come out of an election at this point, be it Liberal majority, Conservative majority or Conservative minority government.

The fact is that the NDP historically loses, as a party, after a minority (Liberal) government. During the term of the government, the NDP can influence policy, and that's good for the country. But when the government ultimately falls, or just calls an election, the NDP is left a little bit up the creek, either being perceived as "opposition" in little more than name and unable to distinguish itself from the Liberal government's policies (while the Liberals take credit for them), or, possibly, being blamed for the election nobody wanted -- either way, it's bad for the party.

But then, the NDP doesn't look at government as a self-help program ...