The Grand Coalition

TC is slowly being persuaded that the grand coalition of the Liberals, NDP and Bloc may indeed come to pass.

Seeking to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the arrangement, Harper declared on Friday that the effort was a "backroom deal to overturn the results of the last election". But it is equally valid to see the votes cast for the opposition parties as votes for this accord.

If one adds together just the votes of the NDP and the Liberals from the last election one gets the following outcome:

Coalition: 153

Conservative: 112

BQ: 41

Other: 2

Add in the Greens who have voiced support, and this becomes:

Coalition: 176

Conservative: 89

BQ: 41

Other: 2

Go all the way and throw in the Bloc, and it becomes:

Coalition: 225

Conservative: 82

Other: 1

Seems legitimate enough.

However, the whole enterprise is fraught with peril, not the least being the danger that the Coalition will be blamed for the worst effects of the coming downturn.  Still, it was worth it just to see the look on Stephen Harper's face today in QP.