If I were asked what I felt were the top priorities facing human beings today, in the 21st century, I would have to say there are four that top the list, in my mind. 1. Halt the global corporate coup. Defeat the corporate war on democracy, which is now escalating
Continue readingTag: Democratic Deficit
CuriosityCat: Stéphane Dion: Let our MPs take a pocketful of votes to Parliament
A pocketful of votes Dion gave an interesting talk at Joyce Murray’s meeting in Vancouver this morning, dealing with the different kinds of electoral reform that we could adopt. One new idea that he dropped on the table is interesting, and, I believe, novel: that our MPs votes in Parliament
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Poll: Massive support for Proportional Representation
Hat tip to BluntObjects for the LeadNow poll of Canadians’ views about the need to fix our broken electoral system. The poll shows massive support by Liberals, Dippers and Greens for some form of proportional representation (the key plan of the Joyce Murray fix-it-now campaign for leadership of the Liberal
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Robocon: Guess who Sona will call as witnesses?
Michael Sona: Whom should I call? Sona, charged with being the man behind the voter suppression robocalls in Guelph in the suspect May 2011 election, has, through his lawyer, repeated that he is not the personwho set up the voter suppression calls. His lawyer has called for a public enquiry
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Massive Win for Democracy in the Liberal Party of Canada
Democracy is coming At our last convention our party decided to throw the doors open to Canadians by inviting them to join as non-member Supporters and to vote for our next leader. The response has been stunning. Our next leader will be elected by many multiples more people than those
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Is Justin Trudeau trying to win the big enchilada on his own?
Justin Trudeau’s Big Enchilada? This extract from The Vancouver Courier just about sums up the fate of electoral reform’s future right now: Political cooperation isn’t a new concept, but University of B.C. political science professor Philip Resnick says it’s worth noting that in both the NDP and Liberal leadership campaigns,
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Political disengagement in Canada: Why is Justin Trudeau ignoring the obvious?
Trudeau vs Reformer Murray Justin Trudeau told a crowd in Hamilton that a Liberal Party led by him would take steps to reengage Canadians in our political life: The Liberal Party’s first step in a Federal election should be reengaging people who have given up on politics, says leadership contender
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Leadership Race: Critical Strategy for Leadnow and Fair Vote Canada
Both are recommending to their tens of thousands of members that they join the Liberal Party as Supporters and vast votes for meaningful electoral reform when voting for the next leader. But there is one startling statistic that should impact their strategy if they really want to be effective, and
Continue readingCuriosityCat: MP Joyce Murray to kickstart the Canadian debate on electoral reform tomorrow
Joyce Murray – Reformer Tomorrow MP Joyce Murray will be given the chance to kickstart what could be the most important public discussion in Canadian politics in two decades, when she debates the other candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Susan Delacourt has an interesting (and must
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Leadership Race: Joyce Murray’s Electoral Reforms Promise
Joyce Murray – Progressive Reformer MP Murray’s position on pre-election cooperation between the Liberal, NDP, Green and Blog parties in order to remove Harper’s right wing government from power, and her commitment to serious electoral reform, bears repeating in full: Our principal challenge is to give Canada the 21st century
Continue readingImpolitical: Only in Britain?
Only in Britain, you say. Pity: I only ask because a few days ago the government released a transparently self-serving “response” to a request from its own MPs, showing that it costs as much as $150,000 to respond to a question tabled by an opposition politician in Parliament, and therefore
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Joyce Murray Cooperate First, Reform Later Plan’s advantages
The Undemocratic Democracy Recent byelections have once more proved that The Power Trap has the leaders of two of the opposition parties firmly in its grip. The State of Play post Calgary Centre Byelection Some recent reflections on the divided opposition parties: Yet most Liberals here still see other parties
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Joyce Murray is right: Our electoral sytem is broken and needs fixing
Joyce Murray: Targeting our democratic deficitAndrew Coyne has supported Murray’s idea of removing the Harper Tories from power and reforming the electoral system.This is a brief report of what Joyce Murray said, by Joan Bryden:But her proposal for co-…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Andrew Coyne gives a good reason for choosing Joyce Murray as Liberal Party leader
Andrew CoyneAt last we have some candidates for leadership of the Liberal Party who – unlike Justin Trudeau – are prepared to deal with the reality of Canadian politics: our democratic deficit. And journalist Coyne does us all a favour by dis…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Calgary Centre Byelection: Liberal leaders who cannot count give Stephen Harper a belated thanksgiving gift
As national polls and recent federal elections have shown time after time, our antiquated first past the post system of electing MPs results in a party with a minority of total votes cast being able to win a majority of seats in Parliament and act as i…
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Go Back To Sleep America, At Your Own Peril
I never reprint other people’s writings, no matter how good – but I will make an exception for this. This article is a true must-read. Please, take the time to read it. Then act. Good morning America. It’s time for a new day. Kudos and warm thanks to Jill Dalton
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Justin Trudeau really really gets what the new Supporters class means
Justin Trudeau – realpolitiek practitionerJohn Ibbitson in the Globe & Mail comments on the plans of the Trudeau team to use the changed constitution of the Liberal Party of Canada to enhance the chances of Trudeau not only winning the leadership c…
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: From wonderment to bereavement #nlpoli
The decline in the quality of public life in our province over the past decade is matched by a decline in other places across Canada and in Ottawa. For those who may not have noticed some of the commentary on this here are three pieces worth considering: Allen Gregg: 1984
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Another sign of the democratic deficit #nlpoli
If you have a few minutes to spare, flip through the provincial government’s 2012 budget. Look for the work “donation”. You won’t find it. Nor will you find any amount of money set aside in the health department budget that would cover a donation by the provincial government to health
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Justin Trudeau: A Political Tinkerer or a man with a Bold Vision for Canada?
Lawrence Martin in today’s Globe & Mail raises a very important question about what Justin Trudeau might do to change the system: Idealism is the currency of the young and, if Justin Trudeau is to succeed and the Liberal Party to have new life, a new sense of it is
Continue reading