There's nothing wrong with the mechanics of forming a coalition, and the opposition powers have been able to do this since the 2006 election. If they can agree to spend enough money on each other's pet projects, there's no reason they can't govern indefinitely unless their base fraction of voters tires of receiving the benefits of those projects.
But:
1) Dion did, during the election, speak against forming a coalition with the NDP.
2) Whatever the "voters of Canada" said, they did not affirm the leadership of Dion. They did return a House structured much like the previous one.
3) Dion has already been scheduled for departure.
4) Nevertheless, Dion is to be installed as PM.
5) His replacement will not have to face an election. It has already been stated that the coalition intends to govern for at least 30 months if it can, and has also already been stated that the Liberals expect to select a new leader in 6 months or so. Even Chretien had the decency to wrongfoot the opposition by calling a premature election after they selected a new leader.
6) Despite calls from all quarters of their supporters and among themselves for a fiscal stimulus, none have even attempted to show why it is necessary. I am unaware of even one half-serious attempt to demonstrate why sudden and massive intervention is necessary. It continues to be an assertion. With a complete absence of proof and despite all economic indicators to the contrary, we are to believe disaster must be around the corner and react accordingly.
7) In addition to the case for sudden economic intervention not being demonstrated, I am unaware of a single instance of a plan. I don't mean a list of objectives supporting a statement of aim (X for manufacturing in general, Y for automakers specifically, Z for forestry); I mean a plan. What specific amounts are to be expended, and where? How is $30B to be divided; who will receive it?
8) Corporations and markets will react to signals. Right now the signal is that $30B is up for grabs. Experience shows that those who devote the most energy to lobbying tend to receive the most rewards. Time and effort devoted to lobbying is time and effort not devoted to the business at hand.
9) If the market for low-yield government bonds turns out to be rather dry, will they print what they need (deflating, of course, the value of savings and fixed incomes).
10) Does the pension protection they have talked about include my private one, or is it just for public sector and large corporation defined benefit funds?
11) After years of accusing the Conservatives of having a weak bench and no serious heavyweight policy minds, and thus being unfit to govern even during economically stable times, the opposition parties:
a) Turn to their parents to arrange the marriage.
b) Ask their uncles to hold their hands, fiscally.
Obviously the NDP lack experience in federal government. Is this an admission by the Liberals that they, too, are weak? Am I alone in thinking this is not the best time to be putting training wheels on the economy so the NDP can get a little cabinet OJT? They accuse the Conservatives of incompetence and demonstrate self-doubt of their own competence to the degree that the elected politicians are not leading or manifestly seen to firmly lead. No amount of Jack Layton's self-congratulatory lists of positive-sounding adjectives can paper that glaring hole over.
$300M, the supposed cost of an election, is 1/100th of $30B. It is reasonable to invest 1% of the proposal to ask what, in the face of all this new information, the voters wish to affirm. And during the campaign, the prospective coalition members can take the time to explain how they intend to divvy up $30B worth of largesse, what amount will be added to the federal debt, what amount will be raised from new revenues, and how those revenues - in light of expectations of falling take from various taxes - are to be obtained. Then the chosen winners can await the election outcome, and those not selected can get on with working through the credit crunch. At least there will be an answer to a large, unanswered question.
>An economic stimulus package will be the new government's top priority, while other policies include a commitment to improve child benefits and childcare "as finances permit."
Priceless. That was first on my list of "things they really want to do if the fiscal stimulus is a smokescreen". Look forward to more spending programs on which the Bloc, NDP, and Liberals can agree.
