Coalition Government

[capricorn]

I'm not positive on the details, but I believe Harper has to lose the confidence first, Harper informs her he lost the confidence, then the coalition asks to form the government.

I suppose this will happen after the vote is taken on the economic update recently presented in the House.

[blueblood]

She shouldn't do anything until the House has voted on the confidence motion. Harper should then inform the GG that he has lost the confidence of the House, but if he does not and tries to stay on as PM she can dismiss him anyway.

Tory brass say that they will use any and all means to prevent the loss of gov't, get ready for parliament shutdown, attack ads, and speeches!!!

[Slim MacSquinty]

The reason the Conservative are going down is they aren't doing nothing to help our economy and I say they are NOT responsible when it comes to handling our taxes dollars.

Patently false, even the liberal government of Ontario was behind them and vocalized support for the fiscal update, if you bother to do any reading beyond the toronto star you'd know that much of the economic experts had at worst mixed reviews if not support for the statement. That hardly represents resounding disagreement.

If you actually believe any of these guys, especially the BQ, are thinking about the interests of this country you are an utter fool. This is exclusively about money for the parties, the Liberals are bankrupt, the BQ gets 90% or more or their funds from public financing and the NDP gets nearly no money from the unions anymore. Pure self interest nothing more.

[Smallc]

I suppose this will happen after the vote is taken on the economic update recently presented in the House.

I think the motion in my signature comes first.

[cybercoma]

It isn't really my fault if there are people who don't have a clue how their constitutional system works. This is a representative democracy where we don't directly elect the government, those we elected to represent us do, in a sense, and the Crown follows their advice in order to keep the system running smoothly. Whomever they put their confidence behind is he whom the Canadian populace puts its confidence behind, and as long as there is such a person, there need not be an election until the four year limit to a parliament's life is hit.

But the NDP didn't gain votes under the assumption that there was going to be a coalition formed with Dion as leader and PM.

Those that voted for the NDP did so because they were Liberals that disagreed with Dion's Green Tax and were not going to vote Conservative. So, the people that voted NDP to get away from the Liberals did not put their confidence behind a Liberal-NDP coalition.

Also, those that are strict supporters of the Liberals, may not agree with their party teaming up with a socialist party. Afterall, the Liberal Party platform supported corporate tax cuts to help the economy. So, those voters did not put their confidence behind this coalition either.

Should they form the government, I would expect a massive outcry from the public because they will feel cheated. I don't think many Canadians realize this is a possibility. Those that I have spoken to about it, I've had to explain the situation to them after they look at me funny and say, "can they even do that!?" Should the coalition form the government, we'll see how many Canadians support such backhanded politics. I predict there will be protests on Parliament Hill like we've never seen this generation.

[capricorn]

She shouldn't do anything until the House has voted on the confidence motion. Harper should then inform the GG that he has lost the confidence of the House, but if he does not and tries to stay on as PM she can dismiss him anyway.

Thanks, gb. This confidence motion, would it be a vote on the economic update or an opposition motion of non-confidence? Sheesh, the system is full of twists and turns, isn't it?

[cybercoma]

It's a vote on the economic update which has been made a confidence motion by the Liberal Party.

edited to remove qutoe

Edited December 1, 2008 by cybercoma

[capricorn]

I think the motion in my signature comes first.

What if the Conservatives move for adoption of the economic update as amended after it was tabled? that should make it interesting.

[Smallc]

It's a vote on the economic update which has been made a confidence motion by the Liberal Party.

edited to remove qutoe

I think those are two separate votes. The update is always a confidence motion. The Liberals tabled a separate motion.

[Slim MacSquinty]

The governement sets the agenda, the economic update comes first, if they choose.

[Smallc]

The governement sets the agenda, the economic update comes first, if they choose.

That's not the way it was to work if it had been today, but I'm sure they can do that if they want.

[jdobbin]

It's a vote on the economic update which has been made a confidence motion by the Liberal Party.

It is a confidence motion because it is a money bill not because the Liberals said it is.

[cybercoma]

I stand corrected. What was the Liberal's confidence motion?

[Smallc]

I stand corrected. What was the Liberal's confidence motion?

See signature below.

[jdobbin]

I stand corrected. What was the Liberal's confidence motion?

There hasn't been one. It has all been regular confidence motions: Throne Speech, economic update.

[Smallc]

There hasn't been one. It has all been regular confidence motions: Throne Speech, economic update.

The motion was tabled on Friday.

[jdobbin]

See signature below.

That was the response but confidence was attached to the bill because it dealt with money.

[jdobbin]

The motion was tabled on Friday.

That was the motion. The economic update itself was what confidence was attached to.

[Smallc]

That was the response but confidence was attached to the bill because it dealt with money.

Yes, but both are confidence motions, and from what I had heard, the Liberal motion was to come first opposition day which was supposed to be today.

[Bryan]

This is awesome. Liberals tying the noose around their own necks.

[jdobbin]

This is awesome. Liberals tying the noose around their own necks.

That is what I say about Harper and his ill considered update.

Edited December 2, 2008 by jdobbin

[g_bambino]

But the NDP didn't gain votes under the assumption that there was going to be a coalition formed with Dion as leader and PM.

No, they didn't. But, things happen during the life of every parliament that were all unforseen during the preceeding elections, and it is up to our MPs to handle these issues as they arise; we don't need an election every time some new matter comes up that we didn't already get to vote on. I am not particularly happy with the impending results, but with confidence in the government lost a mere month and a half after the last election, I accept that it would be utterly ridiculous to go to the polls again, and I suspect this hypothetical coalition will have to be a compromising one that must try and meet in a diluted middle ground between two ideological segments of the electorate that together form a majority of the populace. If these cooperators fail to do so, they too will fall, and we're off to the voting booths again; but, I'd rather it be given a go first, to at least stave off another election until the spring.

[ed. to add word]

Edited December 2, 2008 by g_bambino

[blueblood]

That is what I say about Harper and is ill considered update.

harper could have said exactly what you wanted and would still be ill considered

[Smallc]

harper could have said exactly what you wanted and would still be ill considered

But that wouldn't have been true of me. All he had to do was not play games, and I would have been on his side. To me, he demonstrated that he can't be serious, that hes always plotting.

[Wilber]

This reminds me of 3 people in a strata we belong to. They hate each others guts so much that they will run over anyone else in the strata in order to get at each other, so everyone suffers as a result of those three. Describes our present parliament perfectly.