Coalition Government: one reason to go for it

A number of commentators have been using chess metaphors to describe what's going on in Ottawa this weekend. Well, I'm a chess player and here is a very relevant chess proverb:

"The threat is stronger than its execution"

I think that the exercise of readying a coalition government is a good one if only to provide a credible alternative to the Conservative government and thereby to help the opposition parties do their job.

In a minority government, an effective opposition must be willing and able to present an alternative. Otherwise they have no way to induce the comprises that voters have given them a mandate to negotiate. Usually the alternative is to return to the polls, but with an election having been held so recently, and with the prospect of minority governments being the norm in the foreseeable future, opposition parties must be ready with a credibly viable alternative government, if only simply to be able to do their jobs effectively.