To the editor:
Minority governments do work.
Why? The Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative majority government called a provincial election on August 5, 2003.
Before the election call, the Conservative’s had 30 seats, the NDP 11 seats and the Liberals 11 seats.
On election day, the Conservatives won a minority government with 25 seats, NDP with 15 seats, and Liberals with 12 seats.
On June 13, 2006, another provincial election was held and once again, the Conservatives won a minority government with 23 seats, NDP 20 seats, and the Liberals with nine seats.
In both terms of a Progressive Conservative minority government, no coalition was ever formed.
All throne speeches, budgets, passing of government bills were all voted on in co-operation with all three political parties.
The government never failed on a no-confidence vote.
Both provincial elections were called by the minority Progressive Conservative government on their own just like with a majority government.
The reason for not voting the minority government down, and all three political parties working together is because the taxpayers do not want another costly election, and all political parties do not want to take a chance on maybe losing some of their current seat count.
Also, the party that is the cause for voting down a minority government usually suffers losing seats in a new provincial election.
These two terms of a minority government in Nova Scotia prove that all three political parties can work together.
The same can happen in B.C. with the present minority B.C. Liberal government, and all three political parties working together.
Presently all three B.C. political parties have said publicly that they can all work together.
If the B.C. Liberal minority government is voted down in the legislature, this will prove that one of the three parties was not telling the truth of working together and the voting public will tell them that on voting day when they lose seats.
Joe Sawchuk
Duncan