If the Cons were to get a plurality (not majority) in the next election...

[sonicx]

Who would they form a coalition with? All the major parties are center-left or leftist.

(i'm not canadian, so excuse me if this is a dumb question).

[Kagemusha]

1. Possibly no one.

The liberals and NDP would probably form a coalition. Plurality wouldn't be enough. But, that could make Canada look like an Italian democracy quickly.

[iverglas]

13. ^^^ that's the important bit

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 ...

[achtung_circus]

14. Yeah,

"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."

That's our conundrum. Until someone other than Reform (yes, I know, but thats's how I think of them) gets elected in the west we're probably stuck with it.

[Ken Burch]

2. They would probably make vote-by-vote deals with the other parties

While introducing legislation designed to increase their popularity enough to allow them to call a snap election and get a majority.

The last time they made that work(and that was still when they were the Progressive Conservatives and much more moderate than they are now)was in 1958.

[CHIMO]

3. Obviously The Party

That would get the most out of the deal.
I would expect them to soft pedal things with the help of the Bloc and exercise the executive power that they would have until they had groups fighting between each other.

[applegrove]

4. They cannot hide now. They will never get elected. The neocons

came out of the woodwork today and tried to bully their leader into trying to privatize Medicare.

Seems awfully strange. I'm not quire sure what is up. Perhaps an attempt by neocons to get Martin to go ahead with an election now.. in the middle of the inquiry. Perhaps an attempt to take the heat off the Repuke who are facing a health care crisis (actually breaking down system) that is their private system and the majority of Americans want a better health care system.

Will be interesting to see.

[LoZoccolo]

5. Dude...deep breaths...

They're talking about Canada.

[sonicx]

7. So was he.

[LoZoccolo]

9. Oh, sorry. n/t

[applegrove]

12. yeah - funny stuff going on. Wedging things. Triangulations

Will look for links.

[tuvor]

8. Link, please!

This is too important for us not to know about!

[sonicx]

10. I think he means this...

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=385b4738-dcec-4676-9e9d-2f333a80aa46

[CHIMO]

11. A Canada Strong and Free

Where the peoples tax dollars go as a corporate write off.

http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=746

[Spazito]

6. If the faux Cons were able to win a minority government

they would have to fashion their bills in a way that would garner support from either the Libs, NDP or Bloc or any combination of those three depending on how many votes they needed. I don't see them even getting a minority government because Canadians chose not to elect them last time and the scandal had already broken.

[Ken Burch]

15. The other question is,

with the most recent polls showing a large swing to the NDP, is it possible that some kind of Liberal/Tory coalition(kind of a national version of B.C. Social Credit or the old Union Nacionale in Quebec)might be put together to stop a social democratic breakthrough?