With four days before Canadians go to the polls, the leaders of Canada含羞草研究社檚 three largest federal parties are arguing over how the country will be governed if there is no clear winner on election day.
Most polls continue to suggest the Liberals and Conservatives are deadlocked, raising talk about potential minority or coalition governments.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has said if he wins the most seats in Monday含羞草研究社檚 election, that would give him a mandate to govern.
He repeated that view during a question-and-answer session with reporters in the Toronto suburb of Brampton on Thursday, dismissing reminders that as a former Speaker of the House of Commons, he has familiarity with the rules that govern Parliament and say otherwise.
含羞草研究社淲e are asking Canadians for a strong Conservative majority mandate,含羞草研究社� Scheer said. 含羞草研究社淚t is the case that the party that wins the most seats in modern Canadian history has been the party that forms the government.含羞草研究社�
Paul Martin did step down as prime minister after the Conservatives won more seats in 2006, allowing Stephen Harper to form his first minority government.
But Canada含羞草研究社檚 parliamentary system allows for coalition governments, which means that Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau could continue on as prime minister if there is a minority government and he can secure support from enough other MPs to win key votes.
Scheer on Thursday reiterated his past warnings that a Liberal-NDP coalition would prove too expensive for Canadians.
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Trudeau, meanwhile, repeatedly dismissed questions about a potential coalition or other arrangement in the House of Commons.
含羞草研究社淲e are focused on electing a strong Liberal government that is going to be able to continue the hard work of fighting against climate change and investing in families. The choice is very, very clear for Canadians,含羞草研究社� he said during a campaign stop in Trois-Rivieres, Que.
含羞草研究社淲e are going to elect a government with Liberal MPs from right across the country. We will continue the hard work of investing in Canadians.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淐oalition含羞草研究社� is not a dirty word, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said during his own campaign event as he railed against Canada含羞草研究社檚 electoral system, which gives the candidate with the most votes in each riding the victory.
Singh also criticized Trudeau for breaking his 2015 campaign promise that that election would be the last under the first-past-the-post system.
He said the system means that fewer than half of voters can choose a certain party, 含羞草研究社渁nd they get all the power, and that含羞草研究社檚 wrong.含羞草研究社� Singh said Canadians often feel their vote doesn含羞草研究社檛 matter, adding 60 per cent of Canadians 含羞草研究社渞egularly含羞草研究社� vote against the Conservatives.
含羞草研究社淪o it含羞草研究社檚 wrong for the Conservatives to think that with less than 40 per of the power 含羞草研究社� or vote 含羞草研究社� they deserve all the majority of power. That含羞草研究社檚 wrong,含羞草研究社� Singh said in Welland, Ont.
Singh said he is committed to a 含羞草研究社渕ixed-member proportional representation to make sure everyone含羞草研究社檚 vote counts.含羞草研究社�
Trudeau is focusing on Quebec. After appearing in hotly contested Trois-Rivieres, the Liberal leader is making several stops in the province as he heads west, back to Montreal.
Scheer is headed to the Maritimes for a rally in Pictou County, N.S.
Green Leader Elizabeth May is on Vancouver Island, making numerous stops along the highway from Campbell River to Ladysmith, where the Greens see their best chances to add to their two seats.
ELECTION 2019:
ELECTION 2019:
Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press
