What's undemocratic about a coalition government?

Before the federal election in October I was having a beer with one of the Liberal party's foot soldiers in a Hastings street bar. He was pretty depressed about the outlook for his party. Defeat was almost certain.

He expected Harper's Tories to get a majority. When I suggested that a coalition of Liberal, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois could supplant a Conservative minority he shook his head emphatically and said, "It'll never happen. The Liberal party will not form a government with a separatist party."

Seems he was wrong. On 8 December the Liberals will table a no confidence motion that is expected to result in the end of Harper's second, brief term of office and the start of a historic coalition federal government under Stephane Dion.

It'll seem a little surreal since the Liberals have historically stood as a party of national unity and the Bloc's raison d'etre is separation from Canada.

Which raises the question: could this be the first step toward a separate Canada? Although the BQ are only "supporting" rather than forming the government - the NDP and Liberal will make up Dion's cabinet - they are in a position of great influence.

The economic climate also favours a rise in nationalist tendencies as the recession bites. As if to remind us of the dire economic situation, today saw the second biggest drop ever in the Toronto Stock Exchange as commodity prices plunged. The TSE was down a colossal 9.32%.

It seems to me, anglophone Canada can be fairly blase about a break-up of Canada. But the 1995 referendum in Quebec on whether "la belle province" should separate was incredibly close partly because of the cavalier way in which the Liberals then under Chretien behaved. Canada was held together by a thread in a vote that went 50.58% "Non" and 49.42% "Oui" to separation.

With that in mind, I can understand anger among some Liberals at the current grab for power at any cost.

What I can't understand is why there is so much outcry about a coalition government not being democratic. Of course, it's democratic. Once the MPs are voted in if there's no clear party with a majority then a coalition is the best reflection of the electorate's wishes. I suspect the outcry is more than anything Tories having a good whine.

Whether it's a good thing for Canada is another question. The Liberal, NDP, and BQ parties have much in common - on social, economic and environmental issues - I'm sure many of their supporters will be glad to see the back of Harper.