How come Harper and Martin faced threats from non-confidence, while Mulroney and Chretien didn ?
Brian Mulroney and Jean Chretien were blessed with what today seems impossible: majority governments. That is to say, their respective parties controlled more than half the seats in the House of Commons, meaning that they were never in danger of being toppled by the opposition parties. Since Chretien stepped down, no leader has been able to muster enough support in an election to command a majority government. Instead, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper have had minority governments, and have governed with the knowledge that the opposition parties could vote against them at any time (votes of non-confidence) triggering an election. Whether any leader (currently Harper or Ignatieff) is able to break this deadlock remains to be seen. As it stands, it seems like Canadians are currently unwilling to trust any party with the substantial power that accompanies a majority government.
