[herbie]

Enough Trump and Muslim topics! Let's discuss some current Canadian topics, like electoral reform.
JT's promised 'last FPTP election' promise seems to be hitting a snag and the latest development is the gov't setting up a website mydemocracy.ca to 'get input from Canadians'.
I attempted to use it and found it asked the same damn questions repeatedly and gave up before it asked me for any actual input on what reform I'd like to see.
3 EXAMPLES with my opinion:
Should MP reflect wishes of constituents or their Party? Well, one assumes that if the MP has a majority in their riding, you're supporting the party!
Online voting, repeated questions. {b]No fucking way[/b], if you won't get off your arse or call for a ride to the polling station you don't deserve to vote. You get time off work, required by law so you have a 4 hour block to vote.
Mandatory voting, again asked repeatedly. No, voting is a choice. If you don't vote, you missed your only chance to affect things but that is not for others to judge as a crime. Judge you as a complete loser, that's okay. If there is a way to possibly increase interest and turnout - do it by the reward system which anyone can tell you works better. Maybe staple a stamped voting certificate that proves you voted on your tax return for a $100 credit or something.

As a BCer, I'm leaning towards STV where you vote for 1,2,3 or more choices. If the person in the lead after #1s are counted does not have 50% +1, the #2 choices are counted too until someone does, etc, etc.
It also preserves the concept of ridings and seats, local representation.

[PluggyRug]

I'm in favour of leaving things as they are. Proportional representation will just lead to a monkeykangorillapig government, nothing will get done.

[herbie]

Gotta point out STV doesn't really address the 'proportional' part. You still need to WIN seats to get them and you could get a good chunk of the vote an get none. What it does address is that each seat supposedly represents a majority of voters, no 3 way split in a riding where the winner could win with 34% of the vote vs 33 & 33....
How the hell do you even do proportional and keep the ridings system?

[Mowich]

I'm all for leaving things just the way they are too, PluggyRug. I went online and stuck it out for the entire ridiculous exercise. Not once did they ask me which system I preferred nor was there any mention of a referendum. I did find out that I am a Guardian.

[Thanos]

Programming an old Atari 600XL computer to put in charge of the country and let it make all the tough decisions would make more sense at this point.

[Mowich]

Sorry, double post.

[Mowich]

What bothers me is that the PM chose a political neophyte for this file. It is almost as if he was abandoning electoral reform from the beginning. Now he's watching it die a slow embarrassing death. Sending out post cards and holding the online survey are but its last gasp.

[BeaverFever]

I thought it was fun! And then you get this profile of yourself:

$1:

YOUR VIEWS MOST ALIGN WITH
Challengers
My democracy is responsive and transparent

Challengers typically believe that, above all, democracy should be responsive to citizens. They tend to be more skeptical of government and thus open to ideas that could enhance accountability of governments and give voters more control. They generally prefer governments that are decisive and are less likely to prioritize compromise with other parties. They usually expect parties to take responsibility for their decisions and for voters to have more ways to influence politics.

To that end, Challengers are generally interested in voters having more options or additional ways to express their choices on the ballot during an election.

Challengers are less likely than most to believe that special measures are needed to increase diversity in Parliament and are more likely to see voting as a personal choice than a duty of citizenship. They are split on the question of whether Canadians should have the option to vote online.

Share your results


Who are Challengers?
MEDIAN AGE
40
MALE
64%
FEMALE
36%
Other
OTHER
*
RURAL
26%
SUBURBAN
24%
URBAN
50%
*To be updated as more participants take part
Priorities

See the most-frequently selected priorities among Challengers and whether they were among your top priorities for electoral reform.

1. Governments that can be easily held to account by voters
You selected

2. Strengthening the link between voter intention and the election of representatives
You selected

3. Allowing voters to express a wide range of preferences when voting
You selected

4. Increasing voter turnout
You did not select

5. Ensuring the security of the voting process
You did not select

Themes
For each of the themes below, the graph shows you how you are positioned in relation to each of the archetypes. Each of the archetypes is represented as a labelled, coloured line, consistent with the legend below the graph. The shaded area behind the graph shows how public opinion in Canada is distributed on the selected theme.

Turns out I'm more conservative than most on this issu. Go figure!

[martin14]

herbie herbie:

How the hell do you even do proportional and keep the ridings system?

You can't.

Mowich Mowich:

What bothers me is that the PM chose a political neophyte for this file. It is almost as if he was abandoning electoral reform from the beginning. Now he's watching it die a slow embarrassing death. Sending out post cards and holding the online survey are but its last gasp.

This ranks up there with Obama closing Gitmo in terms of things that aren't going to happen.

1. Potato just won a majority using the old system.
2. There are way too many vested interests who want to keep the old system,
on all sides of all the parties.

It's like his promises to legalize dope; it just ain't gonna happen.

[BeaverFever]

martin14 martin14:

herbie herbie:

How the hell do you even do proportional and keep the ridings system?

You can't.

Under the Mixed Member Proportional system used in Germany and New Zealand, there is a type of riding system and if a party wins a greater proportion of the popular vote than it does riding seats, it gets to add extra seats in parliament. Theses added MPs don't represent any riding but otherwise have the same rights as other MPs.