|
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper after winning the federal election, Jan.23, 2006, in Calgary. (CP Photo/Ryan Remiorz)
|
INDEPTH: THE 39TH PARLIAMENT
Harper at the helm
CBC News Online | April 3, 2006
After Joe Clark's short-lived minority government fell in December 1979, it took 25 years for Canadians to elect another minority. And 17 months after electing Paul Martin's minority, voters decided to go that route again – this time with Stephen Harper at the helm.
In his first news conference after winning the Jan. 23, 2006, election, Harper conceded that governing by minority would be challenging.
"There will be difficult situations," he said. "Minority governments are never easy."
Harper's words proved prophetic – even before the opening of the first parliamentary session of the first Conservative government since 1993. There were no leaks from the inner circle as Harper cobbled together his cabinet. But when the list was unveiled, there were several surprises. A Liberal – David Emerson – was lured to the government benches and a cabinet post, while a Quebec adviser, Michael Fortier, was included too, with a temporary appointment to the Senate.
The opposition parties immediately pounced, accusing Harper of violating his own self-declared principles. He had criticized politicians who switched sides in the aftermath of Belinda Stronach crossing the floor to join the Liberal government in May 2005. And he had also campaigned on a promise of an elected Senate and spoke against the idea of unelected ministers.
With the swearing-in of the government, Harper indicated that his government would get to work on the Conservative agenda immediately. He announced that billions of dollars in child-care deals negotiated with the provinces by Paul Martin's Liberal government would be phased out beginning on July 1, 2006 and would be replaced with Harper's pledge to provide parents with $100 per month for every child under six, to spend on day care – or to help parents who choose to stay at home to care for their children.
On Feb. 16, Opposition Leader Bill Graham announced that it would be up to the NDP and the Bloc Québécois to prop up Harper's government – even if it means compromising their values on key issues such as child care and income tax cuts.
"I'm certainly not suggesting that we in the Liberal party are saying, 'Hey, we want an election and we're going to bring down this government at the earliest opportunity,' " said Graham.
"But we do say we do have certain bottom lines and we don't believe Mr. Harper was handed a blank cheque to do what he wants."
In reality, with only 125 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons, Harper will need to make alliances with the opposition parties on an issue-by-issue basis to get legislation passed.
"During the campaign I found that there was a remarkable amount of consensus on [our] key priorities," Harper told reporters during his first news conference as Prime Minister. "We'll look for shared goals and common ideas. And together we will seek to implement ideas that will help ordinary working people and that will strengthen our federation."
Harper can also rely on the knowledge that no party is anxious for another election any time soon. After two elections in 18 months, the parties are running on financial fumes, and will need time to pay off debts and rebuild campaign war chests.
The Liberals are also in a sort of leader-limbo. Bill Graham heads the party on an interim basis until delegates gather to pick Martin's replacement in early December in Montreal.
If the Conservatives can't find consensus
The government is the government unless it is defeated on a motion of no confidence or it resigns. The Conservatives will keep governing unless they are defeated on a money bill, or in a no-confidence motion. Then, one of two things could happen.
The governor general could order a new election, or ask another party to try to govern. Michaëlle Jean has the right to ask the Liberals, as the holders of the second-largest number of seats in the House, to try to form a government, either on their own, or through a coalition with another party. Joining with the NDP would put them ahead of the Conservatives in the seat count, but still well short of a majority.
It is very unusual for the governor general to offer the government to another party, if the governing party has asked for an election (especially since the King-Byng affair). However, one of the reasons this power is given to the governor general is to protect Canadians from excessive visits to the polls and an unstable Parliament. It remains to be seen how many elections is too many.
^TOP
|
|
 |
 MENU |
|
|
| REALITY CHECK: |
|
|
| MORE: |
|
|
|
