On October 21st, 2019, the Liberals won the 2019 Canadian Federal Election with 157 seats, forming a minority government with the Conservative Party as the official opposition. Most people harbour negative opinions toward minority governments mainly due to the fact that it can take them longer to come to agreements when passing bills and reforming policies. Majority governments, on the other hand, can respond quickly to issues of national concern by imposing change without needing to spend long periods of time in debate. Swift, unopposed decision-making is a good thing, right?
We were brought up to believe that minority governments can’t create palpable change simply because they are met with disagreements from the opposition that significantly slows down action. People generally dislike the fact that minority governments can’t deliver on all their campaign promises because they are required to compromise. It’s important to remember, however, that majority governments can also fail to address issues that they promised to resolve, despite having the power to do so. At least in a minority government, decisions don’t go unchecked.
No political party wins 100% of the votes in a given election. It doesn’t happen because people vary extensively in the opinions, values, and beliefs that they hold. When a party forms a majority government, they pass laws and create policies that align with the core values and beliefs of those who voted for them. Without sufficient opposition, the voices of the remainder of the population are not heard. How can a government represent the country as a whole if they only act according to the values of those who elected them?
This is exactly what minority governments ensure: the recognition of differing opinions, needs, and perspectives. In this way, opposition is democratic. Having a powerful opposition allows the voices of more Canadians to be heard. Even though no one gets exactly what they want, decisions are more of a “weighted average” of the myriad of beliefs and principles held by the Canadian population as a whole. This, then, makes the trade-off between fast, hasty decision-making and diverse representation a worthwhile commitment.
Canada is a cultural mosaic. The people that come out to vote on election day come from many different backgrounds and walks of life. In Canada, we don’t discriminate on the basis of any difference, and we take pride in respecting the core values and beliefs of our fellow citizens. A government that can compromise in a way that ensures that everybody benefits – even if it’s only by a little – is a government that better adheres to the principles of inclusion that we as Canadians are so proud of. In this sense, minority governments are more Canadian.