2019 Federal Election

[tomh009]

No, of course a plurality will not necessarily win a confidence vote. If all 338 MPs show up, and all vote against every motion put forward by every other party, the party with a plurality fails on the throne speech. But I believe that a plurality will be given the support of the House (either explicitly or tacictly by some portion of one or more parties not showing up or abstaining). And that is because many or most voters believe that the party with the plurality should govern.

You might disagree with that belief, but I don't think it's because voters are not intelligent, just that they see things differently than you.

I wasn't sure which word I should use instead of intelligence. I honestly believe the average voter doesn't understand how our government (or many of the things they will be vocally outspoken on) actually work.  And that is what I meant.

I think the correct statement here would be that most voters are not well-informed about the nuances of how our political system actually works.

In 1972, Trudeau Sr would have been able to (continue to) govern with the support of the NDP, even with the initial vote counts that had Stanfield's Tories ahead by a single seat. If the plurality is narrow enough, the other parties' support becomes the critical factor.