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Re: 'Coalition government plot an abuse of electoral system,' Letters, Dec. 3

An open letter to Governor General Michaelle Jean

I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a coalition government proposed by the Liberal, NDP and Bloc.

These parties have more of a mandate from the electorate to form a government than the Conservatives as they received 44 per cent of the vote in the Oct. 14 election while the Tories received only 37 per cent.

If materialized, this government would go some distance to overcoming the faults of our undemocratic electoral system that allowed the Conservatives to get 46 per cent of the seats with only 37 per cent of the vote.

The opposition parties in a parliamentary system have the facility and the obligation to bring down the government if the government loses the confidence of the House as has happened in the current situation.

In this system, it is perfectly proper for the parties that have the confidence of the House to form the government without another election.

Such a coalition government would have a positive effect on our economy as we would have stability of government for at least 18 months, stability that the Conservatives cannot guarantee.

Canada's image to the world would be that we are a country where the 'system' works and we would benefit from the positive consequences of such a situation.

Your Excellency, I urge you to use your position to ensure that the parliamentary system works as it is intended. Any other response to this situation would be a serious distortion of our system of government.

I am confident that you will recognize that installing a coalition government is a legitimate exercise to replace a prime minister who forgot that the Canadian electorate did not provide him with a majority in the October election.

Ken O'Connor