It would make sense, in a typically cynical Liberal kind of way, if Mark Carney — just returned to power but three seats short of a governing majority — were to co-opt some bench strength from sympathetic members of the Opposition. Not that we would want him to. But from his perspective, he's just three seats short of a majority. For the sake of a cabinet seat and a few sweet incentives, why not have make ramming through legislation that's going to be unpopular with half the country, just that little bit easier? Why always be having to look over your shoulder in case the opposition's bringing a confidence motion against you? Why not? It's not as if the Governor General wants ideological consistency, just a government in which the House of Commons has confidence.And, everybody has their price..The Liberals need three to sign on, plus a House Speaker.Mr. Carney has this much cover for something that many would be quick to declare unprincipled. Stephen Harper did it.In 2006, newly-elected prime minister Stephen Harper recruited Liberal MP David Emerson (Vancouver-Kingsway,) also just elected, to bolster his minority government. The amply-qualified Emerson cheerfully crossed the floor to serve as Minister of International Trade.If it's good enough for Harper, why not for Mr. Carney?.But who would Mr. Carney get?Given the animosity within the Conservative Party between the Poilievre Tories and the Ontario semi-Tories, there could be somebody with one foot still in Queen's Park... Better chance there than in the Bloc Quebecois, anyway.There's the Green Party's Elizabeth May.Failing that, there are seven members of the NDP. As a political force capable of doing anything in federal politics, the party is wiped out. But how many would cross the floor if the price was right?Life, after all, is going to be dull. House rules require 12 members to be a recognized party, with the right to interrogate the Government during Question Period and what's far more important to small parties, money to pay for research. Like Elizabeth May, they'll be just sitting there.Presently they have no leader either, although they could draw for the short straw. It'll have to be something like that. The NDP couldn't afford to fight the election; the cost of a leadership convention now is out of the question.Could there be interest? One of the seven, Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East,) has already ruled out working for the Carney government.For now..Others may ask themselves why it was fine to vote with the Liberals under a confidence and supply agreement while the now disgraced leader Jagmeet Singh was leading the party, but everybody should be far too principled to work with the Liberals now.You have to wonder, indeed. After all, the NDP and the Liberals believe in a lot of the same things. No pushback on green energy investments. You get to push DEI, not that Mr. Carney would need much pushing. Indeed, how easily NDP voters switched to the Liberals on April 28.Therefore, if you were a lonely NDP Member of Parliament with nothing to do and all the time in the world to do it, you might tell yourself something like this. (And believe it.)'There is a national emergency. Canada is in peril from Trump. Now is not the time for division and debate. Now is the time for all men of goodwill to come to the aid of the (Liberal) party. Above all, we must not by our indecision or our insistence upon narrow points of party principle, run the risk of the Carney government, with which we are aligned on so many fundamental points, to fall on a confidence vote maliciously generated by the evil Conservatives or the opportunistic Bloc Quebecois. It hurts to walk away from the cherished ideals of the NDP (again and so soon) but for the sake of national unity, Canada and God, I feel compelled to take the ministerial salary and kiss Mr. Carney's ring. I would be doing Canadians a favour. It would be the right thing to do.'Stay tuned. It could happen.
