More anti-coalition rambling
Majority Government or Bust, Harper Warns Conservative Supporters
On Tuesday, Mr. Harper faced questions about a 1997 interview in which he discussed how parties in the Commons could form a “coalition” to oust Liberals as government even if that party won the “largest number of seats” in the House.
It appears to contradict the Conservative Leader’s campaign message, in which he repeatedly disparages the idea of a minority government being replaced by a coalition of other parties that won less seats in an election.
“The way the Liberals are eventually going to lose office, whether it’s in this election or the next one, is they’re going to fail to win a majority,” he says in the clip.
“What will be the test is whether there’s then any party in opposition that’s able to form a coalition or working alliance with the others,” the younger Mr. Harper tells a TV interviewer.
“I think we have a political system that’s going to continue to have three or four different parties - or five different parties - and so I think parties that want to form government are going to eventually have to learn to work together.”
The Tory Leader told reporters covering his campaign that he was only talking about bringing together conservative-minded parties in the Commons.
Of course that's what he meant.
Unrelated to coalition ramblings, the G&M had an infographic that listed the "Big Fifty" -- the 50 seats that may decide the election. Interestingly but unsurprisingly, two of the fifty are here in town, including our district (Kitchener-Waterloo) and the next one over (Kitchener Centre), as well as three in neighbouring cities: Guelph, London North-Centre, and London West. All I can say about that is (partisan hat on) the opposition parties better be busting their asses here.