Jean will have a big decision to make

Moose Jaw - If somebody had told Michaelle Jean back in 2005 that she would actually have to make a real, meaningful decision that would shape Canada's government, she might have said "No, thank you" to then-prime minister Paul Martin.
However, unless Stephen Harper suddenly prorogues the house until January, Jean is staring down the barrel of a major decision come Monday.
After what seemed like just sabre rattling, the three opposition leaders stood in unity on Monday and declared the plans for setting up a coalition government.
All that's left is for Monday when the Liberal party's motion of confidence vote will be held. If everything goes according to Hoyle and all members are present, then the vote tally should look like this - 163 in favour of defeating the government and 144 against.
So, with the government defeated, Harper will head to Rideau Hall to meet with Jean and ask her to dissolve the house and set an election date.
However, the three opposition leaders want to cut this off at the pass by sending a letter to Jean asking her to explore other options before calling an election - specifically, giving them the opportunity to see if they have the confidence of the house and are able to form government.
So, instead of enjoying her five years with glad-handing, fancy trips, high-class digs and lots of smiling, she's actually going to hold the fate of the country in her hands.
The last time the governor general had any impact on what happened in Canada was in 1926 and the infamous King-Byng Thing.
In that case, like the current situation, Byng was asked by the sitting prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, a Liberal, to dissolve Parliament and allow for another election, just a few months after the last election.
Byng chose to allow official Opposition leader Arthur Meighen to see if he could form government. Meighen, a Conservative, was able to hold his government together for only a few days before it was defeated and then Byng had to allow an election to take place.
If Jean wanted to base her decision on precedent, that is the only time in the federal government's history this has happened, so she would allow Stephane Dion and Jack Layton to rule.
However, the 1926 affair is not exactly the same as the current scenario.
Firstly, Meighen's Conservatives actually had more seats than King's Liberals. However, immediately after the 1925 election, King formed government with the support of the Progressives.
As well, Jean will only have to deal with this if the government is defeated. King went to Byng before his government had been defeated because he thought it would lose a confidence vote.
So, the King-Byng Thing should not be solely used to decide what to do.
Well, then, what should she do?
Our political system gave the Tories the most seats. The Liberal party received almost half the number of seats and more than 1.5 million less votes of the Conservatives.
On the flip side, 62.4 per cent of the country's voters did not want the Conservatives to govern and the party did not win a majority of seats.
There are arguments to make on both sides. Thankfully, I'm not sitting in Rideau Hall waiting for the prime minister's call on Monday.
It's all yours, Michaelle. The country's in your hands.

Jason Small can be reached at 691-1255.