The Politics of Politics

Why does a country like Canada have 4 elections in 7 years?  Why does a country that is supposed to be otherwise as dull as dust believe that yet another election will solve its structural problems?  For those with a long memory, minority governments are no stranger to the Canadian political landscape.  The following are minority governments since Confederation followed by the party and the prime minister of the day:

1921-1925	Liberal	William Lyon Mackenzie King
1925-1926	Liberal	William Lyon Mackenzie King
1926-1926	Conservative	Arthur Meighen
1926-1930	Liberal	William Lyon Mackenzie King
1957-1958	Progressive Conservative	John Diefenbaker
1962-1963	Progressive Conservative	John Diefenbaker
1963-1965	Liberal	Lester Pearson
1965-1968	Liberal	Lester Pearson
1972-1974	Liberal	Pierre Trudeau
1979-1980	Progressive Conservative	Joe Clark
2004-2006	Liberal	Paul Martin
2006-	Conservative	Stephen Harper

Except for the long reigns of Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent the country has chosen to be fractious and has elected many minority governments.

Consider the make up of Canada, old a new.  During the Mackenzie King and St. Laurent years Quebec was politically quiet under the iron fist of its fascist leader Maurice Duplessis.   With the rise of Quebec nationalism came a flexing of its political muscle both provincially and nationally culminating in a national party that is somewhat dedicated to the secession of Quebec from Canada.  The Canadian west and in particular the prairie provinces were home to some of Canada’s wackiest political parties (Social Credit) and some of it’s most socially conscious (the NDP).  The Maritime Provinces have been mainly a Liberal stronghold with a smattering of Conservative and NDP support.  Ontario, once a liberal stronghold has diluted that support to the benefit of both the Conservatives and the NDP.  The real balance of power in Canada lies with the Parti Quebecois.  Once a Liberal stronghold, Quebec can no longer deliver the votes that kept Louis St. Laurent and Trudeau in power.

Note the legislation that was enacted by minority governments:

•                In the 1960s, Pearson's minority Liberal government introduced several key components of Canada's modern social-welfare system, including universal health care, government loans for university students, the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). These initiatives were in part due to the close cooperation between the Liberals and New Democratic Party during Pearson's minority governments.

•                Between 1972 and 1974, Trudeau introduced a program of economic nationalism that included the creation of Petro Canada. In addition, old age pensions were indexed to the cost of living. Again, this was due in part to the close cooperation between the Liberals and NDP during Trudeau's minority government.

Note that these significant pieces of legislation were enacted with the co-operation of the NDP.  This is the political alliance that were much touted as an alternative government in the past year until the Conservatives prorogued Parliament in what amounted to a coup d’état.  In recent years the Conservatives have governed without much input from the minority parties.  In fact the Conservatives have governed without much outside input from anyone.

The problem, as I see it, is in the center left of Canadian politics.  The Conservative party is made up of the rump Conservative party tied together with the prairie Reform Party.  This has moved the new Conservatives well to the right of Canadian politics.  The Liberal party used to occupy the center left.  However, the NDP has move sufficiently to the right to occupy most of the Liberal political space.  Therefore the Liberals are, as they are in the UK, becoming redundant.  There is not enough political space between the Liberals and the NDP to cause voters to choose definitively between one and the other.  The far right voters will now have to choose between Conservatives and the NDP.  The Liberals are are a much less significant factor in Canadian politics.  Until the political left center is occupied by a credible political party the Parti Quebecois will continue to hold the balance of power and we will continue to have minority governments.

Bernie.