The Harper conservatives failed to run a successful campaign by focusing on the issue of a possible coalition government if they failed to win a majority government. They began the campaign with harsh and personal attacks on Michael Ignatieff. They claimed he would lead some form of coalition with the other opposition parties. This added to the demise of the liberal party already struggling to define themselves with voters.
Now over the last ten days the NDP have surged past the liberals. The Harper conservatives are now directing harsh and personal attacks against Jack Layton. Stephen Harper is now claiming Jack Layton will lead some form of coalition with the other opposition parties. He is also claiming a Jack Layton lead coalition would be the total demise of our economy. This is a stretch since we have had successful NDP governments in Saskatchewan and Manitoba for decades. Harper is even on record praising Gary Doer, former Manitoba NDP Premier, when he appointed him to serve as Ambassador of Canada to the US. The Harper conservatives have been losing support across the country in the last week and are now less than ten points ahead of the NDP with the liberals still falling in third place.
Now Stephen Harper is refusing to say what he will do if he fails to win a majority and the confidence of the House of Commons. If Stephen Harper believed a coalition was possible it seems he should have been prepared with a plan to deal with his own prediction. Apparently, he has failed in that regard as well as he refuses to answer any questions on the matter.
The failure of Stephen Harper to run a Prime Ministerial like campaign raised concerns with nervous voters. They are now less likely to give Harper a majority government. The voters are always right and it seems they do not have enough confidence in any one of the parties to hand them a majority. A majority would stave off yet another early election. It seems at this time Stephen Harper will continue to serve as Canada’s Minority Man, but for how long.
