2000 was the last time a majority government was elected to Ottawa. It has been three elections since then, (with a fourth one coming) and so a good question arises, will there ever been another majority federal government?
Looking at the 2008 federal election, with one the Liberals worst election results in recent memory, the Conservatives were still unable to reach a majority, granted they were very close. The problem is not the NDP either, it is the Bloc Quebecois. By capturing 38% of the vote in Quebec, and winning 49 seats, the Conservatives were stopped from getting that majority. A strong fourth party has often kept the government in minority territory whether it was the Social Credit Party in the 1960's or the Bloc Quebecois in the 2000's.
A majority government is not an unattainable goal however. Harper nearly got it two years ago, and if the polls were just a little bit more kinder towards him, he would quickly call an election, drift towards more seats and the reign of terror would begin. Should the Bloc eventually cease to become a credible force in Canadian politics, majority governments would become much more common once again. Until then though, we get to live by chaotic government.
Recent trends however have shown that the Bloc has been losing support to its current level of 10%. A weak Liberal Party also greatly helped the Conservatives perform well. Barring any leadership changes, huge scandals, or major reversals of policies, it won't happen in 2011, and its possibility further down the line is even less clear.
It will happen again, but if it involves the Liberals or Conservatives, is it really a good thing?
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