CanPol: Tory/Liberal coalition post-2004

With a POD of March 21, 2004, have the Liberal and Conservative parties form a grand coalition.

Restrictions: no incapacitation/death allowed. Otherwise anything goes.

Bonus points if Stephen Harper leads the coalition.

Double bonus if the junior partner provides the PM.

Go.
 
With a POD of March 21, 2004, have the Liberal and Conservative parties form a grand coalition.

Restrictions: no incapacitation/death allowed. Otherwise anything goes.

Bonus points if Stephen Harper leads the coalition.

Double bonus if the junior partner provides the PM.

Go.

A 2004 POD is hard because you have to change the Liberal party's arrogant belief that they were the "Natural Governing Party" and also change the mentality of Harper and the CPC's base which hated the Liberals.

One possible way is to have the NDP win a hundred plus seats in 2004 like they did this year, with the BQ imploding 7 years earlier than OTL (again much like this year). Unlike 2011 though, both the Liberals and CPC get around a hundred seats each. The NDP and Liberals negotiate but Layton and Martin can't find common ground since the NDP base demands a hard left turn, which the centre-right Paul Martin refuses. Eventually the markets, big business and public opinion push Martin and Harper to make a centre-right coalition deal similar to the one between Clegg and Cameron in the UK.
 
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