The title says it all, our very democracy is in danger of being totally subverted by partisan actions which are aimed at keeping or gaining power with little regard to the well being of Canadian peoples or our country. Elizabeth May is correct when she says there is no consensus
Continue readingTag: Electoral Reform
Paul S. Graham: Interview with Elizabeth May: “Save democracy from politics”
Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, is on a cross country tour, billed as “Save Democracy from Politics,” to call for major reforms in Canada’s Parliamentary system. According to May, Canadian democracy is being undermined by excessive partisanship, a party system that punishes MPs who
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: What Jeff Said…….
Even if it could, Senate reform shouldn’t proceed without the provinces – or the people To the surprise of everyone in the Ottawa bubble, Her Majesty’s Minister of State for Democratic Reform, Pierre Poilievre, held a press availability Wednesday not to slam the Liberals for some alleged sins, but to
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Former Liberal Leader Bob Rae Joins Fair Vote Canada’s Advisory Board
by: Obert Madondo | Twitter: @Obiemad: Bob Rae. (Photo: Fair Vote Canada) Former Liberal leader Bob Rae has joined the National Advisory Board of Fair Vote Canada, a grassroots multi-partisan citizens’ campaign for voting system reform in Canada. Rae joins a cast of distinguished Canadians and progressives already serving on the board, including David
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Vancouver Sun Letter
A letter of mine found its way into the Vancouver Sun today. This one comes in response to a piece last week by Senator Mobina Jaffer about the role of Canada’s Senate in protecting minority rights. In my letter, I argue in favour of abolishing the Senate and ensuring fair
Continue readingCalgary Grit: As Easy As 1-2-3
Something good happened at Toronto City Hall this week. I know, I know. I’m as surprised as you are. Councillors vote to seek end of ‘first past the post’ system in city elections Toronto city council took a significant step on Tuesday towards dramatically changing how the city elects its
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Electoral Fraud Occurred!
But no results overturned……… Just hours ago the long-awaited Federal Court ruling on election fraud was released…In a clear and bold statement, Judge Richard Mosley wrote: “I find that electoral fraud occurred during the 41st General Election.” While his ruling stopped short of annulling election results, this is a powerful
Continue readingScott's DiaTribes: Ranked Ballot Initiative in Toronto survives committee – on to full vote in June.
Its been awhile since I’ve posted, so I figured why not 2 on the same day (plus it gives me something else to do besides continue lamenting last night’s tragic Maple Leafs loss). I just wanted to say I’m very pleased to read that the ranked ballot initiative proposed for
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: NDP Convention 2013: Resolution on Electoral Reform
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: 5-02-13 Resolution on Electoral Reform, submitted by Craig Scott, the MP for Toronto-Danforth. WHEREAS the current federal electoral system contains major shortcomings generating a significant democratic deficit; WHEREAS the decline in voter turnout in federal elections in the last twenty years in Canada is worrying; WHEREAS any electoral reform
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis: Joyce Murray: Electoral cooperation in Labrador by-election guarantees progressive win and Harper fail
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Liberal leadership hopeful and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, Joyce Murray, is absolutely certain that opposition electoral cooperation in the Labrador by-election “will ensure progressive win and Harper fail”. That it would demonstrate how electoral cooperation works to arrest the perennial anti-democratic trend
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: If Justin Trudeau really wanted to engage Canadians, he would do this
Trudeau: Ideology over science Hat tip to Impoliticalfor this remarkable summary of why Trudeau has decided, in is wisdom, to ignore the wishes of the majority of Canadians for a more democratic electoral system. Read the whole article for the exchange between Trudeau and Murray on proportional representation. Here’s a
Continue readingImpolitical: Fair Vote Canada on the Murray-Trudeau exchange #lpcldr
Fair Vote Canada clarifies one of the assertions made during Sunday’s debate on proportional representation. “In a remarkable exchange during the Liberal leadership debate in Halifax on Sunday, March 3…” Release is worth a read.
Continue readingImpolitical: Fun with literacy
So there’s this incredible story on CBC right now that deserves attention and what-on-earth-were-they-thinking treatment: “Literacy guide uses partisan example to conjugate ‘elect’.” Here’s a screen shot of one of the sentences that is being used to teach people how to read in government financed literacy programs in the Harper
Continue readingImpolitical: New downtown T.O. ridings
Came across this map proposal yesterday in the course of some other reading. It shows the new downtown layout for federal Toronto ridings (and presumably provincial if it follows suit, which has been the plan). There are two newly created ridings: Spadina-Fort York (aka condo central) and University-Rosedale. Notably, Trinity-Spadina
Continue readingCuriosityCat: We are 7 days from choosing the next Liberal Party leader
So, will there be electoral reform? The cutoff date to register as a member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada in order to choose the next leader is March 3. Those registered by that date have to register to vote in the contest by March 14, with the
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Joyce Murray’s electoral reform proposals are the most democratic of all leadership hopefuls
Joyce Murray – She walks the talk Joyce Murray’s electoral reform proposals are the most democratic of all candidates for leadership. Unlike the others who are simply practising old-style top-down command politics, Joyce is actually walking the talk of participatoty democracy in the party. Her pre-election cooperation idea leaves the
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Liberal leadership race is between Trudeau and Murray, with a 2014 early election
I decide when … The third debate is over. No-one blew their brains out. No-one surprised the audience. The race will be decided by March 4, when each of the candidates will be able to compare the number of supporters they signed up in each of the 308 ridings, calculate
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
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