No matter how the pollsters slice and dice it, two-thirds of Canadian voters do not want a Tory government. The same might be said, in greater or lesser proportions, about a Liberal, NDP or Green government.
That said, a centre-left coalition of Liberals, New Dems and Greens could probably find enough common ground to meet many of the political objectives of most Canadians. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would be preferable to another Harper government, propped up by the Liberals — which is what we face now.
Here are five reasons why we should support a centre-left coalition:
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A centre-left coalition would more accurately reflect the political will of the majority of Canadians who have rejected Harper and his neocons.
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In the event that Harper gets enough seats to form a minority government, a centre-left coalition would keep him from doing so.
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In the event that Dion gets enough seats to form a minority government, it would prevent him from playing Parliamentary footsies with the Tories and moving to the right.
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It would give the NDP a chance to show what they could do in government at the federal level and perhaps improve their chances in future elections. The same could hold true for the Greens if they manage to get someone elected.
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It would provide an opportunity to replace our outmoded “first past the post” electoral system with some form of proportional representation. This, in turn, would improve the prospects for democracy in Canada over the long term.
Where would the Bloc Québècois fit in this scheme? That would be up to the Bloc. I suspect they would maintain their independence and represent their constituents as they saw fit. That includes getting rid of Harper, which should mean they wouldn’t oppose a centre-left coalition until it became popular in Quebec.
Thoughts?
Paul S. Graham 