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ARTICLE · 21 SEPTEMBER 2021

Forming Government In Canada: Realities And Myths

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The 44th Canadian general election will be held on September 20. The previous general election saw the governing Liberals lose their majority in the House of Commons, but they did manage to...

CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
Dana Gregoire
Dana Gregoire
Guy Giorno
Guy Giorno
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Minority Report: Forming Government in the 44th Parliament 

The 44th Canadian general election will be held on September 20. The previous general election saw the governing Liberals lose their majority in the House of Commons, but they did manage to win a plurality of seats, and were able to retain the confidence of the House and continue governing. But what happens if the Liberals no longer hold a plurality in the 44th Parliament – who will be prime minister?

The answer is simple: Justin Trudeau remains prime minister, regardless of the election result, until he resigns, dies or is dismissed.

This may be surprising to some readers, which may reflect the misinformation that exists around government formation in Canada. Although we have a constitution similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom, we endure a deluge of news about United States politics, which seeds public confusion. The media exacerbate the problem by declaring a party (and its leader) as

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