Election 2021! (Canada votes again...)

[Parasaurolophus]

I want to go to there!

Question: does a retired 68 year old US Citizen with plenty of savings have any chance of residency in Canada?

Our points system is not good for you if you're not working and are older. Having a lot of money helps, however. You could get yourself sponsored by someone, however.

[Parasaurolophus]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

[traductio]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

A friend of mine with a devious sense of humour made this prediction for today's outcome:

Liberals 135
Conservatives 135
Bloc 33
NDP 33
PPC 1
Green 1
____
Total 338

[Morden]

Ha!

[Parasaurolophus]

That would be... amazing!

But also horrific.

[marshwiggle]

If tonight turns out as expected, Trudea will have "progressed" from

• 2015- majority
• 2019- minority
• 2021 - smaller minority

I can't recall anyone pulling off that trajectory. Is it novel? (Or maybe happened in a province?)

[Kron3007]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

A friend of mine with a devious sense of humour made this prediction for today's outcome:

Liberals 135
Conservatives 135
Bloc 33
NDP 33
PPC 1
Green 1
____
Total 338

Would have have to get the Queen to step in?

[marshwiggle]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

A friend of mine with a devious sense of humour made this prediction for today's outcome:

Liberals 135
Conservatives 135
Bloc 33
NDP 33
PPC 1
Green 1
____
Total 338

Would have have to get the Queen to step in?

I believe, constitutionally, the GG in this case would first ask the incumbent, (Trudeau), if he is able to forma government, and if he isn't then the GG would ask the other leader with the most seats (O'Toole),  if he can form a government.  So as long as either one could get 3 of the smaller parties on board, they'd be good to go. (And given that it would be the only way the Greens and PPC could have any influence,  there'd be a strong incentive for them to agree, at least for a while.)

[Kron3007]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

A friend of mine with a devious sense of humour made this prediction for today's outcome:

Liberals 135
Conservatives 135
Bloc 33
NDP 33
PPC 1
Green 1
____
Total 338

Would have have to get the Queen to step in?

I believe, constitutionally, the GG in this case would first ask the incumbent, (Trudeau), if he is able to forma government, and if he isn't then the GG would ask the other leader with the most seats (O'Toole),  if he can form a government.  So as long as either one could get 3 of the smaller parties on board, they'd be good to go. (And given that it would be the only way the Greens and PPC could have any influence,  there'd be a strong incentive for them to agree, at least for a while.)

But what if no one can form government.  I'm sure there is a protocol in place, but I prefer the image of the queen coming in to break it up.

[mamselle]

What--Striding crowned, across the seas, scimitar in one hand, Doomsday Book in the other?

That would be a sight.

We dispensed with that option in 1776.

But it would be an interesting sight.

M.

[Parasaurolophus]

Here we go, today's the day.

This was possibly the most dismal campaign I remember.

A friend of mine with a devious sense of humour made this prediction for today's outcome:

Liberals 135
Conservatives 135
Bloc 33
NDP 33
PPC 1
Green 1
____
Total 338

Would have have to get the Queen to step in?

I believe, constitutionally, the GG in this case would first ask the incumbent, (Trudeau), if he is able to forma government, and if he isn't then the GG would ask the other leader with the most seats (O'Toole),  if he can form a government.  So as long as either one could get 3 of the smaller parties on board, they'd be good to go. (And given that it would be the only way the Greens and PPC could have any influence,  there'd be a strong incentive for them to agree, at least for a while.)

That's my understanding as well.

But you can bet there'd be some serious efforts to court defectors, and weeks of recounts.

[Kron3007]

What--Striding crowned, across the seas, scimitar in one hand, Doomsday Book in the other?

That would be a sight.

We dispensed with that option in 1776.

But it would be an interesting sight.

M.

YES! 

I'm not a fan of the monarchy, but this is an exception to the rule.

[kaysixteen]

One more question regarding Canadian electoral rules: assuming Party X wins a plurality but not a majority.   It wants to form a minority government.   But can two or more of the other parties whose combined seats would make a majority decide to establish a coalition majority government, and freeze out the plurality party?

[quasihumanist]

One more question regarding Canadian electoral rules: assuming Party X wins a plurality but not a majority.   It wants to form a minority government.   But can two or more of the other parties whose combined seats would make a majority decide to establish a coalition majority government, and freeze out the plurality party?

Any government has to win a majority of votes in Parliament in order to form, including minority governments.

That means, in order to form a minority government, a party has to get support from other parties agreeing for it to form a government.  It does happen that Party B will strike some sort of deal allowing Party A to form a government without Party B, usually because Party B doesn't really want to go through another election (which is what happens if no one can form a government) but doesn't want to appear responsible for government policies.

A plurality is irrelevant.  If no one can get a majority of votes allowing it to form a government (even if not all the votes come from parties in the government), then there are new elections.

[Kron3007]

One more question regarding Canadian electoral rules: assuming Party X wins a plurality but not a majority.   It wants to form a minority government.   But can two or more of the other parties whose combined seats would make a majority decide to establish a coalition majority government, and freeze out the plurality party?

Any government has to win a majority of votes in Parliament in order to form, including minority governments.

That means, in order to form a minority government, a party has to get support from other parties agreeing for it to form a government.  It does happen that Party B will strike some sort of deal allowing Party A to form a government without Party B, usually because Party B doesn't really want to go through another election (which is what happens if no one can form a government) but doesn't want to appear responsible for government policies.

A plurality is irrelevant.  If no one can get a majority of votes allowing it to form a government (even if not all the votes come from parties in the government), then there are new elections.

You mean a majority of seats, not necessarily votes.  Sorry to nitpick, but this is a major difference and one that really bugs me about our system.

The implication is that we end up with parties forming majority governments with less than 40% of the popular vote.