...but Canadians don't want an election (Conservative -Liberal coalition government emerges)

How much longer can Dion say he opposes the government, think their proposals are wrong for Canada, and then abstain from voting in the house? The Conservatives have already done a pretty decent job painting Dion as a weak leader, now the NDP are doing the same. The Tories near term agenda seems to offer yet more of the same for Dion, modest right-of-centre policies (or the "new" Centre as Andrew Coyne has argued) that the majority of the Liberal caucus support (or have proposed before). Unless the Tories take a sharper turn right, Harper will continue to benefit from the Conservative-Liberal coalition government.