On Voter Engagement
One of the purported panaceas for electoral disaffection, subscribed to by many, is some form of proportional representation, a subject upon which I admit to being poorly-schooled. Beyond some of…
Electoral Reform
The Undemocratic Election Act
“The things in it that are good could have been so much better, but the things that are bad are unforgivable in a democracy.” Recently Green Party Leader Elizabeth May…
Ontario Byelections: The change that really counts
It seems that the leaders of all three poltical parties in the province of Ontario sense that voters want change. Premier Wynne, leading a minority Liberal government, was rejected by…
Electoral reform—PR is not a voting system
Observing debates about electoral reform online and elsewhere, I notice one error cropping up consistently: the notion that proportional representation, like first-past-the-post, is a voting system. It isn’t, of course.…
The (UN)Fair Elections Act
As is usual with so many of the Bills proposed by the Harper Regime the ‘Fair’ Elections Act has so many changes buried in the fine print that it is…
The Fair Elections Act
The Conservative government will introduce changes to the Elections Act this week that caucus members expect to restructure the office in charge of investigating violations. “It’s the Fair Elections Act,”…
Liberal reformers
A few thoughts here on today's announcement by Justin Trudeau that Liberal Senators will no longer be part of the Liberal caucus and are now to sit independently. One of…
Liberal reformers
A few thoughts here on today’s announcement by Justin Trudeau that Liberal Senators will no longer be part of the Liberal caucus and are now to sit independently. One of…
Liberal reformers
A few thoughts here on today’s announcement by Justin Trudeau that Liberal Senators will no longer be part of the Liberal caucus and are now to sit independently. One of…
Response to Minister of Democratic Reform
Just two days before Christmas the GPC received a letter requesting a response on their ideas for electoral reform to be received before Jan 4th. The timing of the letter…
2014 – The year we ‘loose’ our democracy?
Whilst some say that it is already gone and that we are being subject to an Oligarchy well on its way to a Dictatorship, a view that I find it…
A Gift of Democracy for Christmas
For those who may not know Leadnowis “an independent advocacy organization that brings generations of Canadians together to achieve progress through democracy.” They are particularly focused upon building “a stronger…
My problems with Chong’s Reform Act and my own preferences for reform
Having finally gotten around to reading Michael Chong’smuch-ballyhooed Reform Act, which is being pushed by the media pundit class with a fervor that would make most partisans blush, I feel…
#ReformAct Problem — Caucus Initiating Leadership Reviews (#cdnpoli)
There’s one part of the Reform Act that I’m really stumbling over. Specifically the notion that 15% of a party’s caucus can initiate a caucus review of the party’s leadership.…
Thought’s On Chong’s Reform Bill
Michael Chong’s Bill C-559 is a relatively short piece of work, but it has taken me a bit of time to go through it and start to understand the implications…
An Insidious Sickness
Canadian Democracy is sick. It has been showing alarming symptoms for some time now, they range from the inability of a large portion of our MPs to speak out without…
Voting for a New Voting System.
Of late there seems to be an increased interest in bringing forward a new way of electing our ‘representatives’ in the House of Commons no doubt brought on by the…
Video: Speak Up For Democracy
October 8, 2013 – Green Party leader Elizabeth May, speaking at the Speak Up For Democracy Town Hall Meeting in Winnipeg. Photo: Paul S. Graham Canadian democracy ain’t what it…
Save Democracy from Politics
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…
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…