Confirmed: British Prime Minister David Cameron and deputy prime Minister Nick Clegg both are reportedly invited to the union, as is Ed Miliband, the leader of the opposition.Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
On the subject of federal electoral politics I read John Ibbitson with genuine ardor. He is after all the Ottawa bureau chief for this very newspaper. But there's one subject where his consistently held views are more the subject of confusion on my part than enlightenment. To wit:
"As I argued Saturday, parliamentary experts can go on to their heart's content about how a government need only have the confidence of the House, but a party that dares to form a government against the popular will will wish it hadn't."
He's talking here about the dangers lurking should the Liberals having won fewer seats than the Tories buck "the popular will" and form a coalition government with the NDP. But here's the thing, two out of three Canadians voted against the Tories the last time around (and will again if Nanos the soothsayer proves correct).
The popular will as expressed in one party or another seeking the confidence of the House is clear. Now, for goodness sakes don't take my word for it. I commend to you to a series of articles by former Bob Rae chief of staff Robin Sears in Policy Options magazine that lays out chapter and verse the case for, nay the inevitability of, a coalition government next, er, this time around. In the June 2010 issue Sears, writing on the implications of the British coalition government, noted that:
"A successful modern coalition, one that delivers big change, and one that each leader survives, will deliver a clear message to parliamentary politicians and their voters in Canada. Political choice is not limited to the arrogance of majority government or the embarrassing pusillanimity of perennial minorities."
I know what you're thinking: "Wait a minute Doug didn't Michael Ignatieff already 'rule out' even the remotest possibility of a coalition government after the next election." Well sure, but where's it carved on a tablet of stone that Michael Ignatieff given a result that doesn't suit him consigns the Liberal Party of Canada to follow him down the road to loyal opposition? I'm just asking…