And the Speaker will be...............

[maplesyrup]

Cons + Bloc = Libs + NDP

or

100 + 54 = 135 + 19

With a dead even numbers game, like the above, which party is prepared to give up one vote?

None I imagine, so the Speaker will have to come from the Liberals.

Then we would have:

Cons + Bloc (154) > Libs + NDP (153)

This Liberal minority is not going to last long.

It depends almost completely on the Bloc.

[August1991]

Duceppe said today that no BQ member will be speaker. "It is better if the person is a federalist."

Incidentally, the speaker and party whips are critical in a minority parliament. The speaker for making rulings and the whips for member counts.

[maplesyrup]

But with current unusual dead-heat numbers, barring any recount changes, the Liberals would rather give up the Speaker than give up one vote. I doubt any opposition MP will take it on.

We will be back to the polls soon (6 months to a year max) unless our GG decides to give the Cons a try.

[idealisttotheend]

This is an excellant point. Maybe they'll go without a speaker or something or bring one in from outside, (impossible I know but interesting) I suppose the CPC will give up a vote though since they can't very well work with the Bloc.

Wouldn't one party or another love a defection right about now? I wonder who the most likely candadates would be?

[August1991]

There's an absolutely hilarious story in Crosbie's "No Holds Barred" about a similar election result in Nfld (at the end of Smallwood's reign I believe) that involved getting one MLA drunk to make him a new best friend and Frank Moores making some under the table payments.

There may well be some floor crossing. I would hazard a guess of BQ or Tory to Liberal. Jack Horner walked. The Liberals are good at such deals.

OTOH, who will trust PM PM now after what he did to Gagliano and crew.

[maplesyrup]

August1991......you are right. Martin, so desparate to retain power, might pay someone $1 million dollars to cross the floor. The Canadian public would never see the well hidden transaction. Are there rules or laws to prevent something like that?

[JLarkin]

Martin, so desparate to retain power, might pay someone $1 million dollars to cross the floor.

Come on Maple, lets not resort to wildly speculative dribble like this. 1 million to cross the floor, and for what? 136-137 seats instead of 135??

I know you Tory buffs are upset because by all rights, with recent scandals and a united right, you were handed this election. Come on, quotes like this are even more brutal than the "what a great showing for a first time party" crap I heard all night. First time party?? Ok, technically, but it comes off as a desperate act of trying to make everyone feel better.

Flame away.

[August1991]

Come on Maple, lets not resort to wildly speculative dribble like this. 1 million to cross the floor, and for what? 136-137 seats instead of 135??

I disa gree Larkin, and I think MS is right.

This result is unstable because the Libs apparently can't govern with the NDP alone. With an extra Lib MP or two, things become easier.

As I say, take a look at Crosbie's description of the Nfld 1971 election and what happened to Tom Burgess.

[Bro]

Does not the speaker give exception to their own party?

Therefore,who can afford one vote?

Liberals,down in seats,so no.

Conservatives,up in seats,but not enough,so no.

Ndp,never enough seats,so no.

Bloc,more seats than in last 11 years,likely probability.

A bloc member being paid by Canadian taxpayers to be speaker of the house.Only in Canada,where the french are wily,and the anglais from Ontario have their heads stuck up their asses once again.

[takeanumber]

The independant might take it on.

Maybe even an NDP'er.

Jeebus, the Cons are already wet for another spanking.

Get off on that sorta stuff do ya? Getting your butts spanked by centrist Canadians.

Looks good on yah.

I think another election is probably 2 years off. The parties need to collect money from the public system so they can pay off their bank loans and maybe build up a bit of a war chest.

The dynamics are different.

And I think there will be serious consequences for the Cons if they send Canadians to the polls too early.

[BQSupporter]

What do the Conservatives have to do with the Speakership? It as always gone to the party with the most seats in the House of Commons.

[Reverend Blair]

I think they should just go ahead and make me speaker. I have some reasons for that.

1. I hate speaking, so it would speed things up.

2. I'd show up in torn jeans and a t-shirt gotten from a beer box. Proper attire is important.

3. The last time I got voted into something is a situation I'd rather not discuss. Ever.

4. I'd call the MPs by their real names...the word honourable would never come up, but the phrase Pig-F***er most likely would.

5. I'd be completely non-partisan. Hey, I can do it at least as well as the other speakers.

6. I'd bring Max the dog and make the MPs play tug-o-war with him. With their mouths.

7. I'd make all MPs get 1950s haircuts and chain smoke again. I see no reason why television shouldn't be entertaining.

8. When people wouldn't shut up I'd have them spanked.

9. When MPs voted, I'd say, "What do your constituents think about that position?"

10. I'd buy pizza and beer every Friday.

[Bro]

I'd hire you,but if you can't speak French,the Canadian government won't hire you,even if you are a man of the cloth and fully trustworthy.

[Slavik44]

Maybe Paul Martin could be the speaker....uhhmm it will be interestign to see.

[August1991]

I suggest we ask Bill Clinton to do this. I'm sure he'd be happy with all those pages sprawled at his feet.

[caesar]

The Liberals have a large enough minority not to worry about the speaker. The chances of the Bloc and Conservatives teaming up to defeat the government are negligible for some time. No party wants another election at this time. Relax.

[Reverend Blair]

I'd hire you,but if you can't speak French,the Canadian government won't hire you,even if you are a man of the cloth and fully trustworthy.

I can mangle the pronunciation of French words without knowing what they mean, does that count? I'm the only ordained atheist I know, is that worth anything? Trustworthy? Well, I have an aversion to dishonesty, which is what spurred the list, but I don't know that makes me trustworthy in a larger sense.

That being said, I don't feel any less qualified than any other candidate.