Andrew Coyne isn’t always great, but when he’s great, he’s great. Spot on here. Andrew Coyne: Trudeau helps the cause of democratic reform (by not pursuing it) MPs should be free to vote as they wish at least in theory. In practice they will often vote with their party, that’s
Continue readingTag: demreform
Pop The Stack: The Freedom of MPs
Andrew Coyne isn’t always great, but when he’s great, he’s great. Spot on here. Andrew Coyne: Trudeau helps the cause of democratic reform (by not pursuing it) MPs should be free to vote as they wish at least in theory. In practice they will often vote with their party, that’s
Continue readingPop The Stack: Could the Liberal Party Become The Open Party?
Here’s a short survey from the Liberal Party on foreign ownership rules for natural resources. There are two interesting things about this. First, foreign ownership of our natural resources, especially by state corporations of other nations, is an important issue Canadians need to talk about more. I’m not especially knowledgable
Continue readingPop The Stack: Could the Liberal Party Become The Open Party?
Here’s a short survey from the Liberal Party on foreign ownership rules for natural resources. There are two interesting things about this. First, foreign ownership of our natural resources, especially by state corporations of other nations, is an important issue Canadians need to talk about more. I’m not especially knowledgable
Continue readingPop The Stack: You’re Wrong Adam Goldenberg
Adam Goldenberg has an opinion on strategic campaigning and he is off base in so many ways. Green party leader Elizabeth May has suggested that her party and the NDP refrain from running candidates in the Etobicoke Centre by-election. But Mr. Goldenberg says: Elections are not primarily about picking winners and losers.
Continue readingPop The Stack: You’re Wrong Adam Goldenberg
Adam Goldenberg has an opinion on strategic campaigning and he is off base in so many ways. Green party leader Elizabeth May has suggested that her party and the NDP refrain from running candidates in the Etobicoke Centre by-election. But Mr. Goldenberg says: Elections are not primarily about picking winners and losers.
Continue readingPop The Stack: Dion Proposes New Voting System
Monday’s election results in Alberta demonstrate once again the strange outcomes that our First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) voting system can create. A difference in vote percentage between 43% and 34% leads to 61 vs 17 seats for the PCs. Meanwhile the remaining parties which received about 10% of the vote each get
Continue readingPop The Stack: Dion Proposes New Voting System
Monday’s election results in Alberta demonstrate once again the strange outcomes that our First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) voting system can create. A difference in vote percentage between 43% and 34% leads to 61 vs 17 seats for the PCs. Meanwhile the remaining parties which received about 10% of the vote each get
Continue readingPop The Stack: Hypocrisy Has a New Definition in Senate Defeat
OK, I thought I was just going to read a little news, have my coffee and get back to work. I was fine until I saw this on twitter: @stephen_taylor Speaking of unelected… @elizabethmay has an opinion about all of thishttp://bit.ly/a1VIQK #cdnpoli Of course I have to stand up to defend Elizabeth, so I go […]
Pop The Stack: Another Poll, Another Disclaimer
I’d just like to point out once again the most important thing missing in analysis of the latest poll is how little the amount of support relates to power in parliament. Here are the number of seats won in the last election. The results would be a bit different but nothing has fundamentally changed: Filed […]
Pop The Stack: I Believe in Toronto
As a temporary exile from the Centre of the Universe I don’t get a vote in this week’s upcoming municipal election. But I do have a stake. Toronto is my home, it’s where my heart lives and I intend to return and live the majority of my life there. So here’s what I believe about […]
Pop The Stack: Can Canadian Democracy Begin A New Era?
There are a couple things I’ve had on my writing stack for a while that have yet to be popped, but time is an ever contracting resource. So a call out to ask for people’s opinions on how to fix our democracy, a rant about my frustration over the 5-way train wreck that is the […]
Pop The Stack: The Myth of the Conscious Political Party
Two links to the growing discussion about suggestions that the Liberals and NDP form some kind of coalition to win the next federal election. First, the Globe. Scott Reid asks that we “Don’t sacrifice the Liberal Party for a coalition of the centre-left”. He makes some good points that the idea of a formal coalition […]
Pop The Stack: Could Coalition Be Used to Get the Bloc to Stop Being Separatists?
Great point by Chrystal on Lessons on Framing – Coalition Governments As important as the question regarding whether the Liberal Party and NDP would consider being part of a coalition government is whether the Conservative Party would. Why are virtually all media, journalists, other writers and democratic reformers ignoring this? Just because Canadians won’t vote in […]
Pop The Stack: Ibbitson Gets Some of it Right and Some of it Wrong
I have to respond to the Globe and Mail’s article today by John Ibbitson “Parliament takes another step toward being a true arm of government”. It has a lots of good facts, a couple good points and a few misleading and incorrect conclusions. Friday’s accord on releasing Afghan detainee documents… marks the rise of Parliament as a genuine […]
Pop The Stack: Lib-Dems Should Consider Tory Proposal, But be Wary
News now that the Liberal-Democrats have two offers from those courting them to form a coalition, and both involve a referendum on electoral reform. In brief: The Tories offer a referendum on Alternative Voting, basically the smallest step up from FPTP you could get. Not really proportional but better nothing. Important question (reply in comments […]