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Take a wary look at British Columbia; a shaky NDP government, supported by three Greens, fiercely hostile to the Trans Mountain pipeline.

Now, imagine the same dynamic in Ottawa after the fall federal election.

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Try not to pass out.

It’s by no means unthinkable that the Liberals will be reduced to a minority. To stay in power, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would have to rely on backing from the NDP.

That’s the traditional view, anyway. But if any party is poised for a breakout, it’s the Greens, who will never be persuaded to compromise on pipelines or almost any matter involving Alberta’s energy industry.

In B.C., the provincial Greens have turned Premier John Horgan’s NDP from sniffs of pipeline disapproval to outright enmity.

The federal Liberals have long shown such flexibility in the interests of power. Justin Trudeau’s dad, Pierre, was very good at it during the Liberal minority of 1972-74.