While it may be a clichéd phrase to put forward at this time of year, I couldn’t help but think “something wicked this way comes” as the election talk ramped up in Ottawa this past weekend.

And why not? Unless an epic political blunder leads to a dramatic change in the polls, the Parliament we’ll find post-election will be more or less the same as the one we have now. If the griping found in the opinion pages of major newspapers is a true reflection of popular opinion, then the last thing Canada wants is another minority government. However, that seems to be exactly the direction we’re heading towards.

Our disenchantment with minority governments is hardly surprising at this point. The federal government’s ability to govern has ground to a halt over the last few years as the parties rush off to elections as soon as the opinion polls sway slightly in their direction. There seems to be a perception any minority government is only temporary and therefore incapable of producing effective legislation.

Many are critical of minority governments because they often fail to quickly pass legislation — while this may be true, it’s not necessarily a negative. While majority governments act on the assumption their party is supported by most Canadians, a minority government must operate on negotiation and conciliation.

While compromise might not be Conservative Prime Minister Harper’s cup of tea, it has worked in the past. As John Ibbitson pointed out in his Globe and Mail column earlier this week, both Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson were able to pass legislation into law at rates comparable to those seen by majority governments.

Despite their differences, Canada’s political parties should be able to find at least one or two policies to agree on. Why not try to make this work?

Sadly, nearly all thought of negotiation in our current government has given way to reckless attacks for small political gain. The attacking ad campaigns have already started even though an election has yet to be called. And since another minority seems certain, the only effect these ads will have is to poison the relations between the parties — a loss to all Canadians.

The Liberals need to realize their days of being Canada’s natural governing party are over — a united Conservative party has seen to that. Unless election reform results in a switch to a proportional representation style, the next few elections are still likely to see the Liberals and Conservatives with a similar number of seats. Perhaps trying to work together would be a good idea.

No matter how much Harper may enjoy his partisan antics, they are irresponsible in a minority government situation. It’s time our esteemed Prime Minister learns how to play nice in the sandbox.

If we’re going into another minority parliament, then we should embrace it rather than shun it. Moving forward, Canadians should pressure their members of Parliament to work with other parties and encourage bipartisan legislation.

The days of majority governance are over, at least for the time being, and this should be seen as a good thing. Canadians are not of the same mind on any single subject and partisan legislation one normally sees in majorities ignores this diversity. Parliament needs to make the political reality they have created work, not hope things will change a few months after taking office.