December 04, 2008

 

Coalitions for Dummies


Many on the left are disputing the idea that the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc are trying to form a coalition government. They claim that the Bloc Quebecois are not actually part of the coalition, because... uh, because they say so.

So what is the proper way to answer this question? Fortunately, I have discovered a simple and effective test:

If your leader's signature is on this document, then your party is part of the coalition.

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Comments:
Clearly, if all three parties weren't bound by an agreement, the GG would have no basis for handing power to them. Without a signed-on-the-bottom-line commitment from the Bloc, they would not have the votes to demonstrate that they will have the confidence of the House.

JC Kelan
 
Your ignorance of parliamentary politics is concerning.
Members of a coalition are those which form the basis of a governing (or opposing - you can have an opposition coalition) party. Two, or more, parties which form a formal union, and share the duties which would otherwise be undertaken by a single party.

What the Bloc have signed is an undertaking to support that coalition for the purposes of votes of confidence and supply. Confidence votes are the ones which Mr Harper is about to lose. Supply votes are the ones which make sure the government has money coming in. Such support agreements are NOT coalition agreements.

It's really quite simple. It's also fairly basic parliamentary politics, which are only really interesting here in Canada - certainly this sort of malarky goes on in many other parliaments quite often.

It also makes sense for this to occur so early after an election. Immediately after an election, the incumbant PM is still in control until the new parties prove that they have the confidence of the house.
 
'with a written pledge of support from the Bloc ...'

More than a 'pledge' is needed to replace government.
Dippers and Libs only have 114 seats, the Bloc will have to sign a 'binding agreement'
that lays out the sharing of power contract, including the Bloc,
or they can not take down this government.
Said the best constitutional expert Canada has.
 
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