Who I am Voting For

[pyat]

I ain't voting for anyone until the Canadian Abolitionist Party comes back.



I can't remember what they were about, but their symbol was a computer disk pinned to a sport coat, and the party leader could play the accordion.

Comments

[relee.livejournal.com]

The NDP usually gets enough seats that they can team up with the opposition and overpower the majority, don't they? I thought that's how it worked.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

True until 1993, yes. And possibly true in this next election.

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

God, I hope so, lest Harper think he's got a 'mandate' again..

[relee.livejournal.com]

I'm still holding out a hope that the Conservatives will be relegated to the opposition this time. But I really haven't got a clue what's going to happen. Maybe there'll be a surprise and everybody will be so fed up with the Liberals and Conservatives that a third party will get a minority government. Wouldn't that be crazy? XD

In any case I really really really hope that the conservatives don't get a majority government. That would suck so hard. ;.;

I'm gonna go vote now, though I'd bet good money that the guy I'm going to vote for isn't gonna get elected.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Harper could win on 26% of the vote, if it was evenly distributed, and will probably win a minority on about 30% of the vote. And the kicker is - he'd claim a mandate EITHER WAY. For that matter, so would the Liberals if the same thing happened to them.

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

True, and true, sadly.

[waiwode.livejournal.com]

No ... that only works in a Minority government. If the NDP aren't the Government, they're part of the Opposition.

By definition a Majority government can't be out-voted in the house (assuming everyone shows up, the job of the Party Whip). In 2006 the Conservatives would have needed 155 seats to form a Majority, they won 124 seats.

Minority governments are quite common in Europe (where there are frequently a half-dozen or more popular parties getting a significant portion of the votes/seats). They tend to result in more moderate governments, as the government must acceed to the demands of other parties (either ad hoc or by forming a coalition) and can't afford to push their platform too hard.

When the Opposition has enough votes to overpower the Government it can trigger a non-confidence motion, a second vote that has the potential to overthrow the government. The Conservatives were the leaders of the Opposition for our last non-confidence vote, 29 Nov 2005.

Doug.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I amend my answer to this one!

[relee.livejournal.com]

Ahh of course, how silly of me. I hope we get annother minority government this time, I liked the minority government over the last few years. <3

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I didn't. The opposition had no teeth, and kept running away while Harper played chicken with them. You know how many times Harper tried to get the Liberals to force an election with a non-confidence motion, and Dion refused to do it - even when the law in question NEEDED to be defeated? I never had much faith in Dion, but that ate it up.

It was a minority government that acted like a majority in pretty much every way.