There is a cataclysm in Canadian politics where an alliance of political enemies has been forged from the frustration of being on the wrong side of a minority government. The customer-centric marketing resolution to such problems is to go back to the voters and ask them what they really want, because there are no refunds on a ballot.

In what way does making political choices align with making consumer choices? You choose a lounge suite based on comfort, budget and how it fits with your environment. Are political brands so different? Well, perhaps the argument is more heated (you wouldn’t shop at The Brick, you’d shop at The Wrecking Ball).

But what really counts is: whatever the customer/voter chooses is right - for that person. Where there is a lack of brand supremacy, no sofa builder controls the market. The same is true in a democratic political system. Fortunately friends and neighbors limit their rhetoric over preferences of thro-rugs. The sofa market is managed happily through proportional representation. Not enough customers and you lose your ballot.

How is the challenge different with government? Like household management, we are used to someone wearing the britches. That means having the majority of the electorate behind him/her. Lacking this, decisions have to be reached by consensus. In a democracy you are merely ‘votes’ shy of getting your way.

Canada needs to ask itself what it really wants – not through the instrument of a backroom, leveraged takeover, but through each voter having his/her values expressed on the national scale. Which means more Canadians will have to start wanting the same thing.

Facing down a national crisis has a way of crystallizing common values. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher embarked on 11 years of glorious rule, after the Oil Crisis and stagflation toppled 30 years of consensus politics. It may be that this Canadian minority government will continue to maintain equilibrium through consensus politics. Or it may just require an election and a national momentum towards Canadians agreeing who we really want to get us through the challenges ahead. I would like to see the majority of Canadians agree about what they truly want. It would be a valuable step towards cementing a national identity. Either through an election, a referendum or a plebiscite.

Politicians don’t like to gamble. But a good game of ‘chicken’ might just be what we need to see who Canadians truly believe has the might to do the right thing when all the world around us seems to be falling apart. With a name like Stephen (step-hen) could you play a good game of chicken?