Coalition? Which Coalition (Part 2 Q&A)

What is the legitimacy and status of a political coalition assuming power from a government that has lost the confidence of the House of Commons? Senator Tommy Banks says that this is not a new invention and is perfectly in order in our Parliamentary system. It has, in fact, twice been suggested over the past five years by political coalitions, he argues. Senator Banks also questions the role of Parliament in the governance of Canada, with a particular emphasis on matters of public spending and of framework legislation. Speaker: Senator Tommy Banks Tommy Banks was appointed for two consecutive terms to the Board of the Canada Council for the Arts, and to a further term as policy adviser to the Board, during the administration of the Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney. Under the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark he served as Alberta spokesman in the campaign for the national referendum on constitutional amendment and, with Professor Kathleen Mahoney, argued the “yes” side, opposing Stephen Harper and Mel Hurtig on the referendum’s televised debate. During the administration of the Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien, and following a fifty-year international career as a musician, Tommy Banks was summoned to the Senate of Canada on 7 April 2000. He is a member of the Liberal Parliamentary Caucus. The multi-talented (Senator) Tommy Banks (jazz musician, conductor and host) is the recipient of the Juno Award, the Gemini Award, the Grand Prix du Disques-Canada, several ARIA Awards, and is a member of the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame.