A deal has been negotiated between NDP Leader Jack Layton and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion that would see them form a coalition government for two and a half years, the CBC’s Keith Boag reported, citing sources.
The NDP would be invited into cabinet and get 25 per cent of seats, Boag said, adding that the party wouldn’t get the position of the finance chair or the deputy prime minister’s post.
We have a winter storm blowing and I’m going to weigh in, since the power could go out and I won’t get to post.:^)
We tend to think of the Governor General as a ceremonial post - a person who cuts ribbons, lays wreaths, reads the speech from the throne, pats people on the back. The GG is not just bling.
The office carries serious weight when a minority government faces a none confidence vote.
There will be a vote of none confidence within a week (if the Prime Minister doesn’t prorogue* Parliament). The Prime Minister then trots across the street, or in Mr. Harper’s case drives, to Rideau Hall to inform the GG that the government has lost the confidence of the House. He will ask for an election.
The Governor General can say yes or no.
In the case of no, the leaders of the Loyal Opposition are summoned, and they make their case as to why they should be allowed to govern. The GG has to factor in length of time a coalition will hold and make a decision.
The GG is the final check and balance against the power of the federal executive (in this case the Conservatives) and the responsibility to make that decision rests at Rideau Hall. is more powerful than the Premiers, Senate or Opposition.
As I have said earlier, it’s going to be a noisy week.
I wasn’t expecting a coalition agreement this quickly, but here it is. Michaelle Jean, call home.
*prorogue: to discontinue a session of parliament, defer, postpone
Published 1 month, 1 week ago3 Responses to “Opposition reaches coalition agreement”
Leave a Reply
Search
Subscribe 
You are currently browsing the Bene Diction Blogs On weblog archives.
Related Entries
For blog design, Wordpress or MovableType coding or blog consulting, see cre8d design.
I’m surprised it took them this long to patch together a coalition; it’s something they should have done after the last election, not after this one.
All three opposition parties are parties of the left and agree more with each other than they do the Tories. However, this means sitting down and agreeing on budgets, laws and compromising within a center-left coalition rather than just sniping at the Tories. It should be interesting.
As I’ve been reading, coalitions are uncharted territory in Canada save a Conservative government in WWI who brought some Liberals on board for a war cabinet. However, it might become the norm for the left until either the Tories implode to a point where a Liberal majority is feasible or the BQ/PQ becomes a non-entity.
Interesting Mark - why are you surprised it took the opposition so long?
There are two sites up, one touting Jim Prentice for the Conservative leadership and one for John Baird. Given no one has any idea who is behind them, they are a grain of salt thing, although I believe dismay in The Conser vative Party is genuine right now.
There was a 1864-67 coalition which led to Confederation, and one in the one you mentioned in 1917.
I don’t see the Conseratives (the term Tory no long applies -
this is a Reform/Alliance/Progressive) party imploding any time soon., they’ve not seemed to be able to get out of opposition mode.
Don’t see the BQ/PQ going anywhere any time soon, and not because of separatism, but because Quebeckers feel the Bloq is doing the job of federal representation.
Anyone know if Bill C-269 was ever passed into law?
That is the bill that allows the electorate to recall their MP and have a new by-election (requires 25% of the electoral district population to petition for a new by-election).
I googled and saw the bill, but being a real political type, don’t know how to find out if it was ever passed into law.
If it was passed, I am sure we can start the petitions rolling right across the country.