Writing in The Globe and Mail, Bob Plamondon suggests that Canadian PM Stephen Harper might regret his regular warnings to voters that the opposition parties might gang up on his Conservative Party and form a coalition. Harper has been hammering this theme ever since the aborted coalition proposal that emerged just after the 2008 election.
Polls continue to show that the Conservatives enjoy a lead, but likely not enough to win a parliamentary majority. An election is not certain this year, but there is much speculation that there could be one this spring. The budget will soon have to be approved in the Commons, and if the opposition parties are not satisfied with “sweeteners” in it, they could bring down the government. And, of course, if Harper wants an election, he can send them a budget they must refuse.
Plamondon notes:
in one of the most significant (and least noted) public opinion polls conducted since that election, EKOS Research Associates discovered earlier this month that many Canadians would be prepared to support a coalition were it to be on the ballot.
Of course, such a pre-election coalition remains unlikely, but Plamondon asks:
Would the prospect of losing their third election in a row cause Liberals to make common ground with the NDP, and possibly the Green Party? Is a Liberal-NDP coalition remotely possible?
Remotely? Maybe.
