This is the change we need.

Or, so I hope. It certainly isn't charted waters, but it certainly is Canadian.

Let's review: Once again we find ourselves with a Conservative Prime Minister, barreling into economic peril. While I don't specifically blame Mr. Harper, as my father says: "Have you noticed the GST cut?" Which of course, I haven't, but I will in the next budget. To my knowledge only the most optimistic economists (read: the Prime Minister or Mr. Flaherty) are talking about anything short of a major deficit next year, if not already. This after the Conservatives played dirty politics (to suggest there is such a thing as clean politics) with deficit talk during the election. All of this is finally topped off with the times two debacle of coming off weak on the economy (no stimulus?) and the directly partisan attack on funding, which only the Conservatives could afford (this is made worse by the fact that it may not have been much of a bad idea, just overplayed).

Now what interests me most is what everyone has to gain. I'm always of the opinion that if you follow the power (or money) you can tell an awful lot about what will happen. The coalition itself is fairly simple. The Liberals were showered with attacks over their inability to stand up to the Conservatives last time around, leading I think to the bleeding of their support to the other parties, magnifying the effect of vote splitting, thus a continued repose would surely be permanent. Mr. Dion himself, also gets to make a name for himself other then "Most Poorly Understood Leader", and "Mr. Worst Turnout Ever". Having listened to him in French, I don't think he deserves either title, but then again, Canadian politics isn't for padding your resume. (Mr. Ignatieff, are we paying attention?) The NDP and the Bloc on the other had are after pretty much the same thing, proving their relevance. The NDP may also get some cabinet experience out of this, and Mr. Layton can claim the title of "King Maker" if not the title he was running for. (This may make them a more formidable force in the coming election, but the Liberals are likely to push to the right anyways.) If Mr. Duceppe can prove his party's relevance it will do much to shore up support for a party founded on a currently unpopular issue (separatism), keeping the Block in the game longer. (This could hurt the Liberals too, but I think that the Bloc and the Conservatives are really the ones going at it here, and they both know it. Quebec City will be forever blue, but which shade?)

The most puzzling thing to me was actually, what possessed the PM to think he could pass such a motion in the first place? (Let's not pretend it wasn't at least mostly his idea.) Direct interference into the auto industry should obviously constitute "What he said." when our southern cousins finally decide to "conservatively" bail out the big three, (otherwise we waste our money or our jobs). However, for a party trying to come across as strong on the economy, it looked very weak, almost intentionally so. While I hate how optics effects public policy, Mr. Harper is famous for using it to his advantage and should know to take that into account. That said, it is fairly par for the course, while there are a few provinces sharing in our one (until recently) booming industry (mostly-dirty-oil), there isn't a single province without an industry falling on fairly hard times, and without transitional help. I'll admit there are times I can even convince myself that it is all a ploy to either keep people moving out west, or create a deficit to justify cutting things that do not fit with the Harper social system. Let's face it, all it would take is a forty-some billion dollar deficit to distract people from the quiet death of the CBC, partial privatization of health care.

The key, I'm sure to any plan hatched by the PM was to rely on a weak and fractured opposition (see: the last parliament). What I guess he forgot was that even with all his shiny attack ads, Mr. Dion's lack of English and hard to sell platform as well as all the vote splitting (thanks Mrs. Nader), he still didn't manage 40% of the popular vote. What is more, despite historical convention, the Prime Minister of this country is not the person with the biggest party. The Prime minister is appointed, and the person chosen is chosen as the person with the most support in parliament. While a new coalition might change the PM, and cabinet sans election, I would venture to argue that the result is more democratic. A majority of the democratically elected representatives of ridings of Canada, representing a majority of Canadians, can not make a decision and be called anything but democratic in my book. That said, we do need to be careful how much we stray from convention, lest we fall out of the grey area in which our democracy exists. That is, not so much defined on paper, but in practice.

The actual coalition itself could also do great things. Canada's health care system, the Canadian flag, and the Canada Pension Plan are all the result of past Liberal-NDP 'coalitions'. The Bloc are a new twist, but they represent millions of Canadians aren't looking for things that are necessarily unpopular in the rest of Canada. (Who else might like help for forestry and manufacturing?) One might even say that the Liberal and NDP form two sides of a coin, as the Reform and PC parties of old (but with the Green Party complicating things further). It could even be argued that this country has always had multiparty systems on each side of centre (Liberal-Labour candidates, or Liberal-Conservative candidates for example). In some ways it might even be nice if this coalition were permanent (see: Australia) as it would make the first past the post system work better for left wing Canadians, though I do think 2 party systems are rather dull.

In the end though, to Mr. Dion a warning: These games are not for the feint of heart or the naively honest. During the election you appealed to Canadians on a personal level, and that worked well. However Mr. Harper had been playing the game to win from the moment you were elected leader, and I'm still not sure you have caught up. Be careful not to rush in where shrewder men fear to tread, and do not overplay your hand with Canadians. Also, be wary of your allies. Mr. Duceppe is wise, but has longer term goals that do not include you. The same can be said of Mr. Layton, but also, the only game he is practiced in (tell people you will do things that sound great, even if they aren't the best idea) works poorly in government. In the end though, standing up together with your fellow men and showing Mr. Harper that he has his limits, is a very good thing. Letting him rule as a majority would be very undemocratic. Besides, after that stunt he pulled calling the election in the first place, we can't let him complain that suddenly others are playing the game. Now, you may not become PM, even if part of me thinks you deserve it for being so gosh darn respectable, but you have certainly brought the PM down a peg, and THAT is the change we need.

EDIT: PS I was so naive...