Minority governments in Canada - question

[You kip if you want to...]

Since minority governments are very commonplace in Canada, i'm wondering how they last so long without being struck down with no confidence. Harper's government obviously isn't in coalition while in-government and the 3 main opposition parties are all varying degrees of "left-wing" from what I can tell, so they'd be united in opposing the government.

I know minority governments in the UK haven't lasted long: '74 election, the Lib-Lab pact of the late 70s, Major's pact with the UUP. How has Harper's government lasted? How does it get things done since, presumably, the opposition reject a lot of things? Why doesn't any of the opposition table a no confidence motion, or would Harper and the Conservatives just win a general election anyway?

Yeah, my knowledge of Canadian politics is pretty bad.

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Minorities aren't commonplace in Canada, they're common in post-Chretien era and they will remain common as long as the Liberals have a crappy leader and the Tories refuse to open to the center and as long as neither major party will break into Quebec.

Harper's government(s) have lasted far longer than average minorities, which tells you a lot about (a) a crappy divided opposition and (b) Harper's keen political maneuvering and shenanigans. He certainly isn't Joe Clark. He's been able to get support from one of the 3 opposition parties on a lot of bills and has been genius at playing them off against each other and maneuvering through sometimes murky waters. That being said, every week or so the journalists go crazy and write that an election is "imminent".

Obviously, Harper would call an election today if the polls consistently gave him a majority (don't worry about his own fixed date legislation, it doesn't matter to him); and the opposition would bring him down today if the polls consistently showed them strong.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah, a mix of bad blood between the opposition parties, nobody knowing where the voters stand right now, nobody knowing what the voters would think of you if you forced a new election, and of course Harper's little constitutional innovation of prorogueing parliament when it threatens to do what he doesn't want.

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Harper's little constitutional innovation of prorogueing parliament when it threatens to do what he doesn't want.

Related to that, the latest rumour on that was that in 2008 Harper was ready to go to the Queen herself if the TV reporter didn't give him his prorogation.

Given the French saying jamais deux sans trois, I wouldn't be surprised if Steve tried a prorogation again this year.