Quebec 2014 - another election that never was

[RogueBeaver]

Marois will hold a presser at 11:30.

[DL]

Marois has chickened out and will not call an election at all. I guess in the end the charter issue just never took off the way she hoped and the polls were too discouraging...now she says she will call byelections on Nov. 6 in Outremont and Viau - two super-safe Liberal ridings...

This also removes the threat of having the federal byelection in Bourassa overlap with a provincial election campaign!

[RogueBeaver]

Yep, indeed. We'll see if the opposition parties try and topple her on the budget. I don't think the CAQ will vote for their own demise.

[DL]

Perhaps Marois read Paul Wells book on Harper entitled "The Longer I'm Prime Minister..." and concluded that its always better to be in power and give yourself a stay of execution!

[RogueBeaver]

Legault says he'll vote against the budget if the PQ doesn't abolish the health tax, taking a leaf from Horwath's playbook. Believe it when it happens, not before. Couillard also hinted he might run in a by-election if Marois calls those by-elections in Outremont and Viau.

[KingSweden]

Forgive me for being a dullard when it comes to Parliamentary politics, but why did the CAQ and Liberals not form a coalition? It seems like the PQ would be deep in the minority just based on number of seats...

[DC Al Fine]

Forgive me for being a dullard when it comes to Parliamentary politics, but why did the CAQ and Liberals not form a coalition? It seems like the PQ would be deep in the minority just based on number of seats...

Well normally the result under our system is a majority government so politicians are less willing to form coalitions. Why join a coalition for 4 years when you can force an election tomorrow and win government for yourself?

[Hatman 🍁]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

[KingSweden]

Thank you both, that makes more sense. The PLQ and CAQ have enough votes to force a no-confidence though, right? Or how does that work?

[MaxQue]

Thank you both, that makes more sense. The PLQ and CAQ have enough votes to force a no-confidence though, right? Or how does that work?

Right, but electors hates when you do it without a good reason (and I'm not sure than CAQ wants an election right now).

Also, PLQ and CAQ aren't that close. They couldn't work together.

[RogueBeaver]

Thank you both, that makes more sense. The PLQ and CAQ have enough votes to force a no-confidence though, right? Or how does that work?

Yes. In practice they'd only do it if they think they're in a winnable or winning electoral position. Given the CAQ's collapsing poll numbers, don't expect turkeys to vote for Xmas.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

But is that because of the Westminster system or because of gross incompetence on the part of the junior partner in the current British government? Though it's certainly true that the Westminster system wasn't designed with coalitions in mind.

[RogueBeaver]

There's no precedent in Quebec history either.

[Smid]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

But is that because of the Westminster system or because of gross incompetence on the part of the junior partner in the current British government? Though it's certainly true that the Westminster system wasn't designed with coalitions in mind.

I think much of it was because a fair swag of the junior party's supporters weren't expecting a coalition with the Tories.

[You kip if you want to...]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

But is that because of the Westminster system or because of gross incompetence on the part of the junior partner in the current British government? Though it's certainly true that the Westminster system wasn't designed with coalitions in mind.

I think much of it was because a fair swag of the junior party's supporters weren't expecting a coalition with the Tories.

People didn't get that the Liberals aren't "Diet Labour".

[DC Al Fine]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

But is that because of the Westminster system or because of gross incompetence on the part of the junior partner in the current British government? Though it's certainly true that the Westminster system wasn't designed with coalitions in mind.

I think much of it was because a fair swag of the junior party's supporters weren't expecting a coalition with the Tories.

People didn't get that the Liberals aren't "Diet Labour".

Someone put it like this a while back:

The Lib Dems vote in 2010 was an even split between 3 groups

• Lefties upset with New Labour
• Protest votes
• Liberals

By forming a coalition with the Tories, the Lib Dems effectively alienated the first two groups.

[You kip if you want to...]

You only need to look at the UK to see why coalitions are a bad idea in westminster systems. Bad for the minority coalition party anyways.

But is that because of the Westminster system or because of gross incompetence on the part of the junior partner in the current British government? Though it's certainly true that the Westminster system wasn't designed with coalitions in mind.

I think much of it was because a fair swag of the junior party's supporters weren't expecting a coalition with the Tories.

People didn't get that the Liberals aren't "Diet Labour".

Someone put it like this a while back:

The Lib Dems vote in 2010 was an even split between 3 groups

• Lefties upset with New Labour
• Protest votes
• Liberals

By forming a coalition with the Tories, the Lib Dems effectively alienated the first two groups.

Tactical voters.