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"THE GOVERNMENT
 IS THE SERVANT
 OF THE PEOPLE
 AND NOT ITS MASTER"

Winston Churchill
Oslo 1948

5 Questions on Democracy with the Honourable Allan Lawrence  

Volume 18 Issue 1 Spring 2006

In a first of a regular series entitled “Five Questions”, Churchilliad posed five questions to
The Honourable Allan Lawrence on the subject of minority parliament. 

Allan Lawrence has a unique perspective on minority governments despite having started his political career in the Ontario legislature during the years of Tory majority hegemony under Premiers Frost, Robarts and Davis.  In 1972, Lawrence resigned his provincial seat to run in the federal election that saw Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal Party defeat the Robert Stanfield-led Tories by only 2 seats.  Allan Lawrence served as an opposition PC MP during the minority government of Prime Minister Trudeau.  After the defeat of the Trudeau government in 1979, Lawrence served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Joe Clark during the fragile Tory minority government.  Allan’s time in federal cabinet was cut short in the defeat of the Clark government in the 1980 election.   

The winner of the 2005 Churchill Society Award for his contributions to Parliamentary Democracy, we are fortunate to have The Hon. Allan Lawrence kick off our inaugural Five Questions series. 

1.  How does the role of an MP change in a minority parliament? What skills are critical to success? 

Lawrence:  Unquestionably, a minority government enlarges the potential influence of all MPs – both those on the Government side and those in Opposition, assuming that the Party leadership (again, both Government and Opposition) does not want an early election. Rank-and-file MPs views have to be listened to, much more than in a majority situation, because their support and vote will be required to avoid a premature election.

2. What are the best and worst things about a minority government? 

Lawrence: Pro-minority: The Opposition and back-bench Government supporters can

strongly influence a minority government to do things that are politically popular, which a dogmatic government might not otherwise do.

Con-minority: But the short-term popular measures may not be the best in the longer term, and could prevent more comprehensive policy decisions being made, which might be temporarily unpopular. As well, the uncertainty of minority government could prevent longer-term planning

and policy. Further, a government could be elected on a major policy or a set of them, but unable to enact them, due to the Opposition, in a minority situation. 

3. Some call majority governments ‘friendly dictatorships’, while others feel they offer stability.  What is your opinion of a majority? 

Lawrence: I certainly feel that stability in government is required for long-range planning. Any unpopular and unnecessary policies or enactments can, and probably will, be changed either in an election campaign or by a change of government.  

4. If you were the Prime Minister, how would you turn this minority into a majority? 

Lawrence: To change a minority into a majority requires a balancing act by the Government. It must appear receptive and flexible enough to change its ideas of what is required by political circumstances, while at the same time following through on declared and promised policies which the electorate expects it to deliver. As well, a minority government always has to be ready to take advantage of any tactical circumstance that might appear (by either design or accident) so that it can call a fast election to its advantage. 

5.  Prediction Time:  How long with this parliament last?

Lawrence: Two years from last January.