Could Canada have a Left PM?
Canadians go to the polls in General Election on Monday but, if you live outside of Canada, you probably don’t know this. Even British and American media have neglected to cover the event. Of course, this blog mentioned the election in a posting one month ago.
The election has just become particularly interesting because of the unexpected popularity of the New Democratic Party at the expense of the Liberal Party as explained in this story. My good friend (American) Eric Lee has even speculated excitedly on his blog that the veteran NDP leader Jack Layton could be come Prime Minister of an NDP-Liberal Coalition.
I would love to see it but I doubt that it will happen. The NDP has in the past done well in mid election campaign and then not turned that support into votes. A lot of its new support comes from young people who are less likely to vote. And then Canada – like the UK – uses a first part the post electoral system which means that support in votes does not necessarily translate into a proportionate result in seats.
I fear that Canadians could be heading for their fourth successive minority government. But let’s see what happens …
For background, you might like to read my “Short Guide To The Canadian Political System”.