There is zero chance of the Liberals getting the Conservatives to vote for basically anything they propose. Party discipline in Canada is very strong, and politically speaking there’s nothing for the official opposition to gain from voting for a government measure.
Like, if the fate of Trans-Mountain was up for a vote the Conservatives probably would vote for the Liberals to save it, but they’d think about it first.
In the short term, there is most certainly things to be gained by supporting the government. None of the parties want to look like they are pushing for another immediate election. As long as the Liberals play ball and throw some concessions into their budget, it’ll pass. The NDP is strapped for cash (ie in no way ready for another election), so they’ll be easier to convince but the Conservatives would probably like to have a trophy showing they are influencing the government direction.
It would shock me if the Grits didn’t form a coalition. Leaving confidence motions to chance by not entering into any formal agreements with an opposition party would show a suicidal lack of self-awareness by Trudeau’s Liberals (100% Trudeau would be ousted). Most private members’ bills and such have no impact on the status of the government but no way are they so blind/arrogant as to **invite **a vote of no confidence.
The NDP took out a mortgage on their headquarters to pay for this election. I’m quite sure the Liberals can convince them to support a budget without making a formal coalition.
There’s only been one formal coalition at the federal level in Canadian history, and that was during WWII. Trudeau has already said that he will not seek a formal coalition.
Quite frankly, eventually the Liberals will have to deal with somebody. The Tories are hungry and they are bleeding. Confidence votes (after a marginal election win) are not really the time for 5d chess.
I think the Conservatives are increasingly painting themselves into a corner. They have portrayed Trudeau as the DEVIL HIMSELF this past year. Trudeau is not just wrong, he is Evil, and is Trying To Destroy The Country.
You can’t make deals with Pure Evil. The Conservative voters believe their own hype.
It’s not 5D chess. Entering a formal coalition gives away cabinet positions and gives weight/legitimacy to a political opponent. I don’t have to think 10 moves ahead to see the problems with that. Harper managed two minority governments in a row without a coalition.
Maybe you should relax a little. They haven’t portrayed him as evil. He’s an incompetent phony who got elected on his hair. That’s not Satan. Trudeau is happy to walk the line on economy v climate so I’m sure he can toss the Conservatives a bone here and there.
Whatever the Liberals need to do to get confidence votes passed they will do it. If solely for the fact that if they don’t, Scheer will be offered to step up and do it. If he won’t/can’t then its election time. We are no where near the last step of this chain, but that’s our only options here.
Yesterday in the NP Andrew Coyne rues the instability, divisiveness, and unfairness with our FPTP system and suggests a STV style system with multiple representatives per riding.
My argument still holds for those who make silly juvenile comments about his hair, socks, etc.
In your scenario, Trudeau is Completely Incompetent. The Conservative base will not stand for making deals with the Completely Incompetent.
Yes they will.
The Liberals will do fine for at least two years since no one wants a quick election.
Presumably they could deal with the Bloq on climate change and make concessions to the NDP for anything difficult. The Conservatives are not their base, and will be reasonably pragmatic. Although party discipline is strong, in Canada cross-party friendships are common and the Conservatives will seek concessions like anyone else. And they do want a pipeline, which is a moderate infrastructure piece which should have been completed long ago. Cars and oil are going to be around for longer than many people would like.
I have friends in Calgary who will explode into incandescent rage if Scheer dares to make any sort of deal whatsoever with the hated Trudeau.
Uh huh. Well, they’ll get over it.
So Euphonious Polemic, if Trudeau announces that Trans Mountain is going ahead, and the NDP, Bloc and Greens announce that they’re bringing a non-confidence motion because the don’t think the Feds should build the pipeline, do you think your Calgary friends would explode with rage if the Tories vote to support the Liberals on building the pipeline???
Minority governments tend to survive vote by vote, and each opposition party assesses how it will vote issue by issue.
Is he proposing the same system that BC rejected twice? I didn’t like it when it was first proposed and honestly don’t see how it would fix the issue (unless there was a situation where a party was putting up a particularly objectionable candidate as part of its slate for a given district).
Actually, yes. I know folks who are convinced that the Federal government purchase of the pipeline was a nefarious plot against Alberta. And I’m sure that they will continue to think this, even as work is being undertaken.
Boy those friends of yours sure seem unhinged politically. Whatever do you have in common with them?