Prince Edward - Hastings Riding Association

	Stephen Harper, elected by only 37% of the voters, ignored the fact that he had not won a majority. Canadians do not want Conservatives to have a majority, and they demonstrated that on October 14th. The democratic process is not being usurped by the opposition. The Conservative's 37% share of the vote did not make them the rulers of the land. It only gave them the chance to lead Parliament for as long as they maintained the confidence of the majority of the House. Stephen Harper and his team failed on their first attempt. A minority government needs to find support from the opposition if they want to stay in power. This can only be achieved by consultation, compromise, and cooperation. These attributes, understood and demonstrated by earlier Progressive Conservatives, seem beyond the ability of Stephen Harper and his Reform/Alliance Conservative team. To be effective and stay in power, a minority leader needs to find common goals with the opposition and work to achieve them. Unfortunately, the first thing Harper's Conservatives did was to present an economic update that, in the eyes of most MP's, ignored the desperate need for economic support and stimulus for our ailing industries. Perversely, the Conservatives also chose to deliberately antagonize the opposition with measures that were clearly unacceptable to them. Either this was a miscalculation, incompetence, or a deliberate effort to precipitate a crisis. The majority of the members of Parliament have now joined together to try to get things back on track. This coalition has agreed to put aside their differences and work on the common concerns of all Canadians. This is the proper exercise of democracy, with the majority of Parliament, representing the majority of the people, working together for the common good.