This CBC News article was written by Jean Laroche, where he discusses Canadian provincial elections with Kevin Deveaux.

Preview:

“When it comes to participating in minority governments in Nova Scotia, former NDP MLA Kevin Deveaux has plenty of experience.

He did it three times during his tenure at Province House from 1998 to 2007.

Now an international expert on parliaments, Deveaux said how the government is constructed when no party holds a majority of seats is determined by law, through convention rather than statute.

“The rule is that the party that was governing before the election has the first right to try and form a government under a new government, after an election,” said Deveaux.

“So if it is a minority, the [Rankin] Liberals will automatically have the right to try and form the government, even if they don’t have the most seats.”

Deveaux said giving the party in power the first crack at governing, even if another party wins more seats, is one of the more misunderstood rules of minority government…”