I have not always agreed with Mr Apps on how things were run during his presidency (especially on the ruling that to me seemed to deprive any member who wanted to be an interim leader of his or her rights under the constitution to run for permanent leader). All Liberal
Continue readingTag: Democratic Deficit
CuriosityCat: Two Resolutions that deserve to pass at the LPC Convention
I would like to recommend that attendees at our convention pass two revolutions which are aimed at empowering Liberal Party members and supporters. The two resolutions are: AMENDMENTS PROPOSED BY THE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA (BRITISH COLUMBIA) 25. Liberal members’ initiative Proposed amendment: That the Constitution be amended to include
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Party Policies: Problems with Proposed Amendments
The list of proposed amendments to the LPC Constitution has been released. There is a disconnect between the statements in the Roadmap to Renewal and the background paper regarding the need to remedy the democratic deficit in the LPC, and advocating boldness in doing so, and the proposed amendments. Hat
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Some good reasons for supporting Brian Topp
If he really introduced proportional representation, then he would be a revolutionary prime minister, and go down in history as one of the great ones: Make no mistake: with Brian Topp at the helm, a vote for the New Democratic Party in 2015 will be a vote for change. The
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Harper Tories arrogantly skating on thin ice
On June 30, 2013, we will look back over the past 18 months are realize that the month of November in the year 2011 showed the high tide of one political party, the ebbing of the tide of another, and the coming high tide of another. The Tory Achilles Heel:
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Party of Canada Values – A Comparison
Liberals will meet in Ottawa in January to debate the values underpinning the Party. So far, there are two documents which Liberal attendees can review to decide this question: the Preamble of the Constitution, and the section The Liberal Mission Today, from the Background Paper drafted by the National President
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Handy summary of the Liberal Party Renewal Plan – please pass it on
The media has been buzzing with talk about the Roadmap to Renewal and supporting documents, and Liberal circles are also astir. This quick summary gives you the gist of the main proposals, and also some good links. Please pass this on to friends and neighbours – the more the merrier!
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Riding Presidents: Please table this amendment to the Roadmap with Alfred Apps on your Nov 30 conference call
What you can do to help: The Roadmap is a positive step forward (with a few wrinkles), but is deficient in boldness in remedying the democratic deficit in our party. Please ask your Riding President to table the following amendment to the Roadmap resolutions with President Alfred Apps during his
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberals, forgeddabout Ibbitson & Have Your Say in January
John Ibbitson is the latest to weigh in on the Liberal Roadmap to Renewal, with the advice that those who don’t like the proposed changes should shut up and vote Yes at the January convention: All well and good, but there are more than a few influential Liberals anxious to
Continue readingCuriosityCat: My Forecast for the next 18 months
Based on events taking place right now, and on trends I think I have spotted, The Cat is going out on a limb with the following forecasts: Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear plants. Iran will retaliate with missile and other attacks on Israel, and on US citizens and interests in
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Litmus Test for selecting the new NDP and Liberal Leaders: What will remove Stephen Harper
Two leadership races of enormous consequence are taking place in Canada right now: the overt race to select a new leader to replace Jack Layton, and the covert race to select a permanent leader of the Liberal Party. The electoral cooperation Pandora’s Box While many pundits and party members are
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberal Roadmap for Victory – lipservice to real member and supporter involvement
Just spent some time reading through the accompany (non-official) document released with the Roadmap, and came across some really jarring notes.They have really taken the gloss off the Roadmap for me, with a vengeance.The cover letter and the Roadmap a…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: NDP supporters want a Quebec leader and electoral cooperation with Liberals
A surprising finding from the latest Ipsos Reid poll, and a very disconcerting one for Brian Topp.A large majority (58%) of NDP supporters believe that the next leader should hail from Quebec:Fifty-eight per cent of NDP backers surveyed nationally stro…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Fatal Flaw in the Liberal Party Renewal Plan Primary Election of new Leader
The devil is in the details, and Peter Wrightwater of the blog Paper Dynamite Online has just unearthed a major defect in the Liberal Primary Election plan which could have major anti-democratic consequences.He examines the proposed Electoral College w…
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: A step in the right democratic direction #nlpoli
One New Democrat is fighting the re-count in Burin-Placentia West on grounds that the special ballot provisions of the provincial Elections Act are unconstitutional. Let this be the first measure to turn back the anti-democratic current of the past ei…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Liberals, let’s use the Two-Tier Primary system for electing our next leader
In an earlier post I mentioned the problem of raiding or hijacking which bedevil open primaries: your opponents might vote for the weakest Liberal candidate in the hope of reducing Liberal chances of success in the general election.Blunt Objects, in a …
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Primaries are Infectious: Ask MP Sarah Wollaston of Totnes, UK
In 2009 Dr Sarah Wollaston became the first candidate for election as an MP in the UK to be selected by the Conservative Party through an open primary.Danniel Hannan says this about the primary selection method:Once one party adopts open primarie…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Suggestions for a new Open Primary election of the next Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Bob Rae has opened the dialogue about how we elect our party leader, with a suggestion that we consider an open primary system of electing out next leader in 2013.Bob Rae and the LPC Primary SystemTo advance the dialogue, I would like to table a few su…
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Hints of the Rae Revolution in Bob’s comments
Finally, a breath of fresh air seems to be blowing through the Liberal Party. With one speech, Bob Rae has thrown down the gauntlet to our party, daring us to think outside the nine dots, and to prune where pruning is needed, and open our arms wide to …
Continue readingImpolitical: Can’t trust ’em
This story is on fire at the Globe site today: “Liberals storm out of House vote on unilingual Auditor-General.” A lot of predictable comments there, irrelevant Liberals, the third party, etc. Whatever the boo bots will bring in typical inflammatory fa…
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