Coalition government would be legal, democratic: expert

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper only has himself to blame as he watches the opposition parties conspire to topple his new government, according to a York University political science professor.

The Oct. 14 election saw voters send Harper back to Ottawa with a strengthened minority government that included a message to work with the other parties to make the national political process work, Prof. Robert MacDermid said.

Instead, he has ruled as if he had a majority, taking just a scant seven weeks in power to try to ram through an extremely partisan agenda, said MacDermid, an expert on Canadian government and politics.

Not only did Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty fail to follow through on promises they made on the international stage to offer economic stimuli to ward off the global fiscal crisis but they initially attempted to capitalize on a long-standing goal of destroying the financially-challenged Liberal party by retracting per-vote funding given to political parties, he said.

MacDermid said Harper made an "appallingly" poor miscalculation by thinking the opposition parties would do no more than grumble about the Conservative policies.

"Which is surprising because everybody has been saying he is so smart (at strategizing). They (the opposition parties) feel Mr. Harper is over the top in terms of partisanship but it is in (Harper's) character," he said.

The opposition parties are drawn together by a common desire to do what they feel is right to protect the economy, looking at what other governments around the world are attempting with economic stimuli packages.

"I think they are appalled by that (Harper's refusal to do the same)," MacDermid said.

"The U.S. is injecting billions and trillions into the economy. The Conservative government is saying there is no problem. There is a disbelief in that. If Canadians are appalled (by the political climate now in Ottawa), they should be appalled by the actions of Harper and Flaherty."

While a coalition government made up of the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois would be unusual, McDermid argues it would be legal and democratic.

He argued former Conservative prime minister Robert Borden formed a Union government in 1917 with a cabinet made up of Conservative, Liberal, independent and Labour MPs to address a conscription crisis during the First World War.

The government only serves with the confidence of the House of Commons and if a majority of MPs have lost confidence in Harper's government, then it should fall, MacDermid said.

Meanwhile, he pointed out Harper wrote to former governor general Adrienne Clarkson in 2004 suggesting she look to him to lead the country if former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin's newly formed government was brought down by the Commons.

"We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority," the 2004 letter stated.

Current Governor General Michaelle Jean is cutting short a trip to Europe so she can return home to deal with the political crisis.

If the government loses confidence of the House of Commons only weeks after the last election, MacDermid believes Jean is well within her rights to invite the Opposition parties to rule through their proposed coalition government.