A coalition government is a very specific arrangement in which two or more parties agree to share executive powers and divide the ministries among themselves.
Just because two parties co-operate and support one another in the Parliament does not make it a coalition.
A formal agreement between the Liberals and NDP is not a coalition.
But Harper, in 2004, schemed to defeat Paul Martin’s Liberals by forming a coalition with the NDP and the separatists. All three signed a legal document to form a coalition. Layton and Duceppe showed a legal document to prove Harper formed the coalition, not Ignatieff. Ignatieff did not sign up for a coalition anytime.
Coalition governments are predominant in India, Japan, New Zealand, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. Coalition governments can be very stable.
Harper’s warnings of a reckless coalition are unfounded. Harper does not want a coalition because he would have to co-operate with the members of Parliament.
Harper is a hypocrite and the most dishonest prime minister Canada has ever had.
Ed Turner
Penticton
