Would a minority government really be a bad thing?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Most of the polls are pointing to a minority government as the likely outcome of the federal election in under two weeks. But what does that actually mean?

A UBC political scientist who has written a paper on this subject says that result could actually be a good thing.

For one reason or another, minority governments have earned a reputation for not being able to get things done.

But in his paper, called Trust and Confidence: Post-Election Cooperation in Parliament, Max Cameron brings up the fact that some of Canada’s most lasting legislation has been passed while minority governments have been in power.

“Two back-to-back minority governments in the 1960s brought us our pension plan, Medicare, the flag, bilingualism… it was a very productive government,” he tells us.

He says leadership is key. “If they are willing and able to take up the challenge of working together, they can make a minority parliament work. If they don’t, then we can find ourselves back at the polls very quickly.

“I think there can be benefits when parties work together. They can actually get a lot done. That’s part of the virtue of our system. But there’s a further benefit, which is for the democratic system itself,” adds Cameron.

That benefit, says Cameron, is more compromise and less concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office.

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