What can we expect from Parliament Hill post-election?
Posted May 8, 2011 7:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It’s a whole new ball game on Parliament Hill. Stephen Harper and his Conservatives got the majority government they were hoping for.
So, what can we expect in the weeks ahead? News1130 took that question to Maclean’s Magazine Ottawa Bureau Chief. John Geddes says the challenge for Harper and Jack Layton will be keeping the extremists within their parties under control.
“Both Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton are going to want to consolidate the moderate ground they staked out that allowed them to do well in the election. I would guess the danger for them is that others in their caucuses might think ‘We’re safe… for four years. We can flex our ideological muscles more than we used to.”
As for the Liberals, Geddes says now they have time to reorganize. “At least with four years to plan, they can take a little time; the luxury of thinking about what they want to do and how they want their next leader to be chosen.”
“I would guess it’d be a longer leadership process than we’re used to,” he explains. “Most people in the party would like to first have a kind of quiet, solemn rebuilding exercise.”
Parliament is expected to resume at the end of the month.
