Law Verification: Can one party rule with fewer seats than another? | Verification

The Black Cubacos leader has argued in the pastWe are not against tradition because suddenly it suits us.

The Canadian election says the party leader who elects the most MPs in a general election will usually form the government.

Word In general Important. In the case of a minority, according to constitutional tradition, even if another party wins more seats in an election, the prime minister will prioritize trying to form a government.

To achieve this, MPs from other parties must be mobilized to gain a majority of votes (338 to 170 seats) to gain confidence in the House of Commons.

The same example at the federal level

In 1925, Liberal William Lyon McKenzie King called an election that failed to win a majority in any party seat. The Liberals got 101 against 116 for Arthur Meghan’s Conservatives.

The retiring prime minister did not accept defeat and was able to retain power with the support of progressives who elected 24 aides.

In contrast, in 2006 the Prime Minister, Liberal Paul Martin Stephen Harper, acknowledged victory for the Conservatives. Then they won 124 seats, from 103 for the Liberals. Mr Martin may have sought the support of members of the Black Cubacos or the New Democratic Party to form a minority government, but he did not.

In New Brunswick in 2018, Brian Gallant of the Provincial Liberal Party tried to retain power after winning 21 seats, compared to 22 for Blaine Higgs’ progressive Conservatives. The other two structures chose three assistants.

Most MPs could not mobilize, the Liberals Defeat in the Legislature. The Conservatives subsequently succeeded in forming a government.

Example of British Columbia

In British Columbia in 2017, current Premier Christy Clark won 43 seats for the Liberals, John Horgans for the New Democrats, 41, and Andrew Weavers for the Greens, 3.

Ms. Clark tried to stay in office without allying with another party, but lost a vote of confidence from the legislature. She then asked the lieutenant governor to call for a new election, which was rejected.

The Queen’s spokesman later turned to the New Democratic Party, which succeeded in forming it Government with the support of the Green Party.

After the current election, if Justin Trudeau fails to achieve a majority or is able to rally support to stay in power, we can see a similar scenario. Another party that wins fewer seats may succeed in forming the next government.

Governing as a Minority: A Common Method

The formation of a minority government in Canada, for its part, is not uncommon.

With a minority government, the prime minister must gain the confidence of the House so that the support of elected officials from other parties is sufficient.

This has happened 14 times in the federal scene since the birth of the Confederacy. Along with Paul Martin, Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau, it’s exclusive to John Dieffenbecker, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Elliott Trudeau or Joe Clark.

In collaboration with Nathalie Lemieux