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Jens 'n' Frens
Idle thoughts of a relatively libertarian Republican in Cambridge, MA, and whomever he invites. Mostly political.
"A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures."
-- Daniel Webster
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Saturday, June 26, 2004 :::
As for as I know, there are two ways to become Prime Minister in a minority government. If your party lacks a majority, you can form a coalition. However, if you cannot or do not wish to do so, you can attempt to form a minority government.
One way is to get support "from the outside", in which another party or parties will agree to vote to put your party in office but will not participate in your government, i.e. will not take ministerial office and will not accept the whip. A minor party may be motivated to do this because they believe that the government they are supporting is the best possible alternative under the circumstances. Because they disagree with your platform, they do not want to be bound to support your initiatives; however, your failure to form a government might lead to a new election or a government including other parties with which they disagree more.
A second way is if one or more smaller parties agree to abstain on motions of confidence. They would have similar motivations here, i.e. the fear that someone worse will come along if you are thrown out. A recent example from the UK: When John Major's majority was reduced to a small minority through deaths, resignations, defections, etc., the Ulster Unionist Party abstained on motions of confidence, allowing the Conservatives to win small majorities of the votes cast. They feared that a Labor government would come to power if an election were held and that a Labor government would be worse for Northern Ireland.
Both situations are very difficult, since the Prime Minister can count on enough support to stay in office -- provided the minor parties are kept reasonably content -- but not enough to pass any legislation or accomplish anything, barring the aforementioned issue-by-issue coalitions. It is easier, I would guess, for a centrist party to survive such an arrangement, because it can muster support from the right on some issues and from the left on others.
That said, I am far from an expert on Canadian parliamentary procedure!
::: posted by Eric at 10:20 PM
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