I probably told you before, but lately there's times I wish we had a parliamentarian system of governance. It seems more likely stuff gets done, cross-alliances are formed, and minority parties and voices have a seat at the table - even while they may not dominate.
But then I'm looking from the outside in, and perhaps the grass always seems greener ...
The view is far more accurate than that of most Americans, who can't seem to fathom our prime minister has to win his own riding to get in. Making him much more approachable. I lived with a California woman during an election in the 80's where prime Minister John Turner was running where we lived. As it happened when they made a highly visual visit knocking on doors, two things happened after I said yes to meeting him. The first was the look on Turner's face when he realized the guy who opened the door was a television reporter, who was also recognized by the cameras following him, expecting something. The second thing was what became the story, my girlfriend a cardiac care and former emergency room nurse uttered a school girl shriek and stuttered "you really are the prime minister!" and later told my colleagues that something like that would never happen in the US and thought I was kidding.
Obviously the government is far more accessible to the public...and far more responsive especially now with five parties, people are willing to "experiment" with their traditional voting pattern. It is not a perfect system, at one time and still is to a certain degree that governments need only win the most seats in Ontario and Quebec, ignoring the west.
Within a decade that led to the formation of the "Reform Party" lead by the best prime minister Canada never had, a cross between Ross Perot and Mr. Rogers. That split the right, unintentionally as it was not a right wing platform, and further alienated the west. By the late 90's we were openly talking about separating from Canada (easy for BC and Alberta as they never signed the original "Upper Canada Agreement". That led to a tumult within the now "united right" as Stockwell Day retired to the night being replaced by Calgary born policy geek with the personality of wallpaper, Stephen Harper.
We have him three minority governments in five years before entrusting them with a majority. The gave up governing to the middle and came to believe, as all governments do, they were invulnerable. They insulted Candians by bragging about a $2.8 billion *surplus* when we see need all around us. He was not given a second term as they fought he wrong enemy with the wrong weapons, and the "Natural Governing Party", the Liberals did what they always do and stole a platform, this time from the NDP left who had, like the Conservatives, believed the bull**** about austerity.
They discovered the hard way what any veteran poll could have told them, and perhaps did. Canadians are humble people, bragging about a fat bank account while people are dying by the 100's from the worst drug epidemic in history simply won't do. That this past vote was a youth vote who voted for their children's future and supporting and expanding Canada's social safety net. The government nearing on two years still has a 55-60% rating.
So yes, we can change governments easier than the US system and I believe we will see more and more minority governments when either unofficial or official coalitions are formed, and should that happen I predict the Conservative Party will slowly fade away
