On Election Night, Calgary Conservative MP Diane Ablonczy told a reporter that voters had decided to give her party a test drive. It’s a cliché, to be sure, but one that is apt in this case, to a certain extent. It’s not just the Conservatives that the voting public in Canada have decided to test — it’s all four parties that will sit in the House of Commons.

The considerable challenge that lies before these 308 men and women is to find a way to produce results for this country in a parliament where no two parties, other than the Bloc Quebecois and the Conservatives, can combine forces and know their position is unassailable.

We may not agree with our newly re-elected MP, Rob Merrifield, on many things, but we do agree with his assertion that there is little desire for another election soon. In other words, the leaders and the parties must make this situation work.

There are those who point to the forthcoming leadership battle within the Liberal ranks as evidence that Canada’s 39th Parliament will function for at least some time, but internal warfare is not guaranteed for the Grits. Depending on circumstances, they could have a new leader within a few months.

The delicacy of the situation is not much improved by the fact that the Conservative Party is now in government. They won by focusing on moderate policies and approaches, but it is impossible to deny that there are more hardline elements within that caucus. Having, in some cases, spent multiple terms in opposition these members may yearn to be able to take advantage of their newfound position of power, no matter how precarious that position is.

This suggests that the internal struggle within the “new” Conservative Party could be as serious as any facing the Liberals. As Prime Minister, Stephen Harper would then face the exhausting reality of having to satisfy diverse forces among his own team, on top of the demands and difficulties presented by attempting to compromise with the NDP, the Liberals or the Bloc.

So what of it? The bottom line is that while the Conservatives and their detractors both envison a Canada changed in ways both subtle and profound as a result of Monday’s vote, progress is likely to be slow. 

In our news story of the election outcome, Merrifield cited a list of five priorities that he believes can be implemented. It’s hard to see that happening quickly. If these moderate reforms stall, the pressure will build on Harper from his own backbenchers as they begin to worry about the pace of change. If he pushes the other parties more agressively, he might find that Jack Layton, Gilles Duceppe or the next Liberal head honcho are willing to send us all back to a dark and horrible place. The campaign trail.