Parliament – Etymology The English term is derived from Anglo-Norman and dates to the 14th century, coming from the 11th century Old French parlement, “discussion, discourse”, from parler, meaning “to talk”.[2] The meaning evolved over time, originally referring to any discussion, conversation, or negotiation through various kinds of deliberative
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Cowichan Conversations: Jagmeet Singh Calling For a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
Jagmeet Singh’s letter to Justin Trudeau calling for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform by Fairvote Canada | Nov 5, 2020 Read the PDF copy of the letter Jagmeet Singh Read more… The post Jagmeet Singh Calling For a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform first appeared on richardhughes.ca.
Continue readingMy Relulctant Strategic Vote
Here’s an irony. I’m forced to vote Liberal (again) because Justin Trudeau betrayed me. No, it doesn’t make any sense and, furthermore, it pisses me off. But that’s just the way it is. In his 2015 campaign, Justin promised that that election would be the last under the grievously undemocratic
Continue readingPR Isn’t Enough
Advocates of proportional representation (PR) make a powerful case. They claim that our current electoral system, first-past-the-post (FPTP), is not democratic. They are right. More often than not a political party that gains less than half the popular vote wins the election. In 2015, for example the Liberals, with under
Continue readingThe Senate—No Solution to Regional Alienation
Canada has always been a highly regionalized country—the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, B.C., all with varying interests and economies and, with Quebec at least, culture. One particular complaint is that the country is run from the centre, i.e. Quebec and Ontario dominate with the other regions struggling to be
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Pro Rep: Infinity War; or, In Defence of Endless Referendums
Winston Churchill (apocryphally, as it turns out) is believed to have said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” In light of British Columbia’s referendum on electoral reform this past fall, one is tempted to agree. But let’s not let the media, politicians, and
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Pro Rep: Infinity War; or, In Defence of Endless Referendums
Winston Churchill (apocryphally, as it turns out) is believed to have said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” In light of British Columbia’s referendum on electoral reform this past fall, one is tempted to agree. But let’s not let the media, politicians, and
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: THE FIFTH COLUMN 2018-10-13 19:17:00
On Democracy What a better way to restart The Fifth Column than by a treatise on how to make our democracy actually democratic. Hopefully this will be the first posting in a newly regenerated Fifth Column. I write this at a time when there are so many examples of democracy
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: First-Past-The-Post: An Ontario Horror Story
Has Justin Trudeau not betrayed his promise of electoral reform, perhaps all provinces would be seriously considering it for their own jurisdictions, not just British Columbia and Quebec. And now Ontario is about to reap the full horror of the first-past-the-post system: a clown (no doubt accompanied by seltzer bottle
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Nathan Cullen calls Trudeau a liar for breaking electoral reform promise [VIDEO]
Watch the NDP’s Nathan Cullen call Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a liar for breaking his promise that the 2015 federal election would be the last election under Canada’s anti-democratic first-past-the-post voting system. The post Nathan Cullen calls Trudeau a liar for breaking electoral reform promise [VIDEO] appeared first on The
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Considering What Just happened in the US, It should Be Painfully Obvious Why Canada Should Change Its Voting System
It’s hard to believe but it’s true. Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States of America. A man who has never held a public office in his life now is Commander and Chief of the most potent and lethal military force in history. Put another way, the fate
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Considering What Just happened in the US, It should Be Painfully Obvious Why Canada Should Change Its Voting System
It’s hard to believe but it’s true. Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States of America. A man who has never held a public office in his life now is Commander and Chief of the most potent and lethal military force in history. Put another way, the fate
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Democraphobia Runs Rampant in North America
The fear of democracy has a long history. Plato was mistrustful of the demos, believing it would be subject to bullies and to tyrants. In England, the storming of the Bastille in France by the sans-culottes during the French Revolution was dismissed as a regrettable manifestation of “mobocracy”. According to Thomas Jefferson,
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Democraphobia Runs Rampant in North America
The fear of democracy has a long history. Plato was mistrustful of the demos, believing it would be subject to bullies and to tyrants. In England, the storming of the Bastille in France by the sans-culottes during the French Revolution was dismissed as a regrettable manifestation of “mobocracy”. According to Thomas Jefferson,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: More Bernard-trutherism: An update on Alberta’s (now ex) Roughneck
PHOTOS: Bernard the (now-ex) Roughneck enjoys some of the acclaim that goes with his newfound prominence here in Wild Rose Country. Photo grabbed from Facebook. Below: Neal Hancock as Bernard during his Parliamentary Press conference two months ago. Below that: A screenshot of Interim Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose at her
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Electoral Reform Committee Launches Cross-Canada Public Consultation Tour
On Monday September 19, 2016, the Special Committee on Electoral Reform launched its cross-Canada tour to consult Canadians on the best alternative to replace the current anti-democratic first-past-the-post system.
The post Electoral Reform Committee …
Babel-on-the-Bay: Honourable Members All!
A reader brought up what he considers a serious weakness in first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting yesterday. It is the assumption that we elect “honourable members’ to our legislatures and the House of Commons and select the same for our Senate. The member we elect with at least a plurality is assumed capable of representing all voters […]
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Minister Monsef ‘s measure.
How would you like to have a job based on proving your boss is right? It seems the same as Canada’s Fraser Institute that is always commissioning studies designed to prove the Institute’s right-wing theories. Now we have a cabinet minister trying to implement her leader’s campaign promise that Canadians will never again use first-past-the-post […]
Continue readingWhy a referendum on electoral reform would be a very bad idea
The need for electoral reform in Canada has never been more stark. We have just endured nine years of government by a political party that over sixty per cent of us opposed. That is simply not democratic. We have an electoral system, but we don’t have …
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: In Opening Up the Pandora’s Box of Electoral Reform, Canada Should Look Down Under
Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best. (Otto von Bismarck)I never thought that I would see this day come. We have a newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who stated publically that…
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