Is the Harper government a legitimate government?

Get this through your heads folks!!! Polititians lie to get into power and they lie when they are in power. Not just Conservatives, not just Liberals, not just the NDP's, not just the partys YOU don't like. ALL of them. Some how we do survive. And when they are voted out they gracefully step aside much unlike the despots of the countries you compare them to.

The Better question would be - Is Yahoo a legitimate News Outlet

We have a "Winner take all". The person receiving the most votes in a riding is the elected MP even if a minority of voters showed up to vote. Harper's government is legitimate because it was elected by the voters who actually voted. Too bad if the majority of voters couldn't be bothered to vote, Maybe at the next election they'll show up to vote. There are enough days and times for advanced polls where one can vote. Many riding candidates will arrange assistance to those voters who have difficulty in getting to the polls because of physical problems. I am not a Harper supporter but I do go and vote.

why wasnt andy radia asking this of the other parties when they were in power

This will be an issue given the current rules, and is there anybody out there who REALLY wants 10 years of debate and constitutional hair pulling to rewrite the rules of our parliament?

Is this article arguing that maybe we should switch to American style Congress? maybe not but it is pointing out that the way our system is set up it only takes 39% of the popular vote to own a majority in Canada. This is nothing new. This has been going on for a while. As the system works now whichever party wins the most seats wins the election regardless of popular vote. At this point parliament members are expected to vote along with party lines. Those who vote with their constituts against the wish of the party leader are subject to discipline. Therefore we are not always voting for the best person to represent us as we are often voting for the political party instead. Therefore this is the reason why I do support the idea of free votes in the house.

On the same basis are the Liberals a legitimate party when so few were elected? Is Elizabeth May a legitimate leader of the Green Party when she is the only elected representative? Are the NDP a legitimate "Official Opposition" ?

Only a moron would actually want to write an article on this. Hey Andy, cant find anthing better to write about???

"an abhorrent that has somehow got itself in power."
Seems to be an Altruism for ALL political parties.

Democracy is the worst form of government until you compare it to all others.

Let me get this right, going by these stats we should not have a government in Canada at this time because none are worthy of our popular vote. A friend says who can trust liars and thieves.

There is a lot of difference in being legitimate and being competent or honest.

May I suggest that people read to the very last sentence of this article before commenting?

I'll throw the Liberals a bone and tell them how Harper got into power...
"... Because the Liberal's leadership sucks!"

When you have so called Political Leaders ignore the true meaning of a United Canada,then you know that we will never get nobody from any parties to represent us fully,just go on Walmart Canada Financial and look at what a Canadian needs to have a Master Card, you need to be a resident of Canada,excluding Quebec,what an insult,totally pathetic,not one politicain ever raised out this issue but yet they all claim to the world that Canada is very United from coast to coast,even the medias stayed out of this one,now you know why our medias are so censored.

Where were all these "illegitmate government" pundits when the Libs were in power for 14 years running? Our voting system wasn't such a big deal then, was it? So now they can't win by the rules we've had for 145 years, so their idea is change the rules. Justice Gomery described it as a Liberal culture of entitlement. And that is exactly what it is. Of couse they view the Conservatives as abhorant... because the Conservatives have the power that the Libs view as their personal entitlement. Wow, 34 seats in the last election... a lot of people in Canada obviously disagree!

Stupid article to even suggest this - it's the way that the Canadian parliament system is setup.

There has never been a legitimate federal government in Canada. They all are just puppets for the backroom wheeling dealing gangsters.

people that whine are probably the same lazy slackers who couldn't get their butts off the couch.

According to the rules we have for Parliamentary majority, his government is totally legitimate! Those who attempt to use other rules and standards are the ones who are legitimate. You may try to change the rules, of course - but according to the rules of parliamentary democracy it is even silly to put up such a headline and article...