Ontario election: NDP Horwath blows it
With polls showing a minority government possible after this Thursday's election, Hudak has started a Harper-clone drumbeat of "the socialists are coming" by talking about a vote for the Tories…
proportional representation
ontario, vote three ways and pass it on
There's an excellent new democratic voting tool designed to show us what the upcoming Ontario election would look like under different voting systems. Although we can reconfigure actual election results…
Ontario NDP’s Andrea Horwath can remedy the democratic deficit, massive poll says
We are close to the wire in the race for a new provincial government in our most populated province, says a massive new poll. The chances right now are high…
Prime Minister introduces proportional representation bill
In a move that surprised absolutely no one, the Prime Minister today unveiled a new bill to reform Canada's 'First Past the Post' electoral system that will have its first…
Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- Libby Davies weighs in on what comes next for the NDP:(Jack Layton) had a vision for Canada that was about inclusivity and fairness, and…
Realigning Canada’s Political Spectrum
Canadians have traditionally held social democratic values while supporting centrist political parties. Canadians support universal single payer public health insurance, public pensions and a social safety net, all of which,…
A different story
Yessiree, the conventional wisdom goes, Canada's political parties are all the same. Especially the NDP, which having reached Official Opposition status is sure to abandon any pretense of principle when…
Why we should not hold a referendum on proportional representation
It seems that every time the subject of changing the voting system comes up, we automatically assume that a change must be sanctioned by a referendum. I increasingly feel this…
Parliament In Review: June 14, 2011
With the debate over Libya taking up the time for debate, yesterday didn't see quite as much of a range of issues discussed as some previous days. However, there's still…
My take on Senate reform
We need the Senate, but not as it is now. The current Senate is far too inefective, inefficient, and undemocratic. I don't agree with Stephen Harper much, but I do…
In Defense Of The Worst Idea: Senate Reform And Proportional Representation (sort of)
Yesterday, Gerald Caplan wrote an op-ed for the Globe and Mail titled "Electing the Senate: worst idea in the history of the planet." I'm sure, if push came to shove,…
Just wondering…
...but can anybody else remember a case of proportional representation being used as a boogeyman outside of an actual electoral reform referendum?I ask only because Peter MacKay's plea to keep…
Our democracy is broken
In his new job as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, Jack Layton has pledged to “fix Ottawa.” I’ve taken this to mean he will lead by example in hope…
Liberals Turn My Dreams a Whiter Shade of Pale
I just flipped on the radio and Michael Ignatieff is talking about electoral reform. Am I in some kind of Fringe-like alternate universe where my dreams (ahem, remember The Liberal…
The Debate: Canadian Values Win
The most interesting thing I noticed about the debate was where all the leaders, or at least all of the federalist leaders, agreed. These were on what I would consider…
The Liberal Nuclear Option
I’ve suggested this before but here it is again in brief, can anyone explain to me what the downside of this would be for the Liberals? Nuclear Option: The Liberal…
Democracy Election
While thousands worldwide sacrifice their lives for the right to free elections Canadians complain about having one.That is not to say there are no reasons for some Canadians not to…
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…
Democracy Around the Galaxy: A Hitchhikers Guide
In celebration of 42 day this Sunday here is an entry I offer from Pop The Stack for inclusion in that most remarkable of all books ever to come out…
Spectorvision is Skewed on UK Election Lessons for Canada
I’m not sure what Norman Spector of the Globe and Mail is trying to get at with his recent article about the coalition situation in the UK. He points out…