Jeffrey Simpson Argues Against Evil Coalitions. Harper Smiles

Mr. Simpson, let me set you straight. First, the election was just last week. The people of the U.K. created the present configuration of the House of Commons through a democratic vote (however grotesquely warped the voting system).

This democratically elected House of Commons is now in the process of deciding who will form the government, based on who has and can keep confidence. If it is the will of the majority of this democratically elected House of Commons that the electoral system should be changed, it is a democratically arrived at decision on its face. So, please spare me the whining about referenda. Referenda are one tool of democratic governance, but not the only one and indeed, in my opinion, not the best one. The people of the U.K. elected their MP's to lead and pay them pretty well to do so. Let the will of the House of Commons, as created by the people, do its job and stop trying to Americanize the Westminster system. God knows that route has done nothing to enhance either Canada's democracy, or the reputations of our legislatures.

Update:Let me just add that for all his appeals to "democracy", Mr. Simpson seems quite willing to accept a system whereby absolute power is handed over to a single party that enjoys less than fifty percent support from the voters. It seems that Mr. Simpson's democratic tendencies are more sham than real. He likes the trappings of democracy, as long as the trains run on time.

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