So, the Kenney-led UCP government in Alberta wants to hold a referendum on equalization. Here’s the proposed question: I want to bring two points to your attention here. First, is the fact that this is about removing Section 36(2) from the constitution. To put it bluntly, this is a non-trivial
Continue readingTag: referendums
Referendums or Citizens’ Assemblies?
Holding a referendum on whether to remain or leave the European Union was one of the dumber decisions in the long history of the British political class, as is becoming increasingly apparent. Obviously, when David Cameron took his fateful decision, he hadn’t the slightest idea of what his Conservative Party
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Referendums and Social Movements in Italy and Europe | The Bullet No. 1340
Matteo Renzi’s recent attempt to constitutionally embed neoliberalism and simultaneously legitimize and secure his tenure as Prime Minister via a refe Source: Referendums and Social Movements in Italy and Europe | The Bullet No. 1340 Filed under: Europe Tagged: Europe, Italy, Referendums, Social Movements
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 readingCowichan Conversations: Guest Column-CVRD Director Loren Duncan on AAP’s & Referendums
CVRD Director Loren Duncan We all now know why 14 of the 28 Regional districts across the Province do not have a Regional Grant in Aid, program, they are simply to difficult to control when the need is great and the will power is weak. The long list of historic
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Cowichan News Leader Editorial Critical of CVRD’s Alternate Approval Process
Our take: Can’t democracy move with the times?
A dedicated group of people mistrusts the Cowichan Valley Regional District so much it appears willing to knock on doors in the pouring November rain and risk higher taxes to take it down.
And if it turns out the community agrees with them, then hey, that’s what democracy is all about.
But we are not writing today to take sides on the CVRD’s push to make garbage collection a public utility throughout the valley.
We are writing about the frustration being expressed by these citizens about the effort they will have to put in to making their wishes public policy.
The rest of the editorial can be found here.
Continue reading
Song of the Watermelon: Referendums: The Perils and the Possibilities
Direct democracy is to representative democracy what extra-virgin olive oil is to refined olive oil. The latter is more cost effective and, perhaps according to some, just as good. But to the connoisseur, there is no substitute for the real stuff. In the fourth article of his ongoing series on
Continue reading