PM Jack Layton?

So here's a query for you. If you don't have enough seats to even attempt to form the initial Government after May 2nd, what should it matter if your party has the next number?

Consider this; Let's sat the next election sees the Conservatives fail to gain a majority of the seats in the House. Also let's say there is a plan for the other parties to form some sort of cooperative/coalition effort after they vote non confidence at the earliest opportunity. The question is who would lead it?

I mean even if the Liberals get the next largest amount of seats, what does that really matter if you plan to work with the other parties to form a Government?  And now with Jack Layton gaining in polls, and more popular in general than Michael Ignatieff (who suffers from what I call "IckyIggyitis", because he creeps me out), who is to say that Jack shouldn't run the Cooperative/Coalition Government?

Since the Westminster form of Parlaiment we use allows for this, what does it really matter how many seats you have as long as you can "cooperate" with enough others to "form Government"? And it may come down to something like this, because it's not about you and I right now, and that is obvious by the Opposition parties who knew the Conservatives would at least get a minority again, this is a classic political grab for power (which I think will only benefit the Bloc I might add.)

So I have to wonder; Will Jack stick his hat into the arena for PM if it comes to a coalition?  Or will we willingly go along with Iggy as their glorious leader?  Honestly I don't see why Jack wouldn't premise his parties conditional support on this, especially after all his big talk about running for that job alone in his ads and speeches. 

Could be very interesting.

Bob