Monthly Archives: October 2019

Some Additional Thoughts on the 2019 Election: When Should a Party Leader Resign?

Posted on 2019/10/24 by J.W.J. Bowden

The last few days have featured a plethora of news articles calling Andrew Scheer’s leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada into question. Ipsos-Reid claims that 63% of Canadians want him to resign[1] (though given that only 34.4% of Canadians … Continue reading →

Posted in History of British North America, Political Parties | 2 Comments

Justin Trudeau Remains Prime Minister But Also Subject to the Caretaker Convention

Posted on 2019/10/23 by J.W.J. Bowden

Results of the Election         On 21 October, voters elected members to a minority parliament, the fourth in the last fifteen years. In this House of Commons, engorged to 338 members since 2015, a party needs at least 170 to form … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments | 1 Comment

Andrew Scheer Is Not Exactly Wrong: Forming Governments in Minority Parliaments

Posted on 2019/10/21 by J.W.J. Bowden

“Whichever party gets the most votes and the most seats, if not an absolute majority, has the first right to seek to govern, either on its own or by reaching out to other parties.”

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments | 3 Comments

Minority Parliaments and the Governor General’s Special Warrants

Posted on 2019/10/16 by J.W.J. Bowden

Joe Jordan’s Column The polls indicate that Canadians will elect a minority parliament next week, and this has naturally spawned much speculation on the roles of the Governor General and political parties in the formation of governments and what would … Continue reading →

Posted in Crown (Powers and Office), Formation of Governments | Leave a comment

The Over-Zealous Caretakers of the 2019 Election

Posted on 2019/10/14 by J.W.J. Bowden

Caretaker Convention During the writ in 2015, Parks Canada infamously agonised over issuing a routine public advisory about the threat that bears and mountain lions posed to hikers in Rocky Mountain national parks that fall, falsely believing that the Caretaker … Continue reading →

Posted in Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Constitutional Conventions | Leave a comment