We Wuz Robbed
The real losers in the federal election were the people of Canada.
The Tyee takes a look at how the election would have turned out if, instead of the rigged first-past-the-post system, we voted under either proportional representation or single transferrable vote systems.
A single transferrable vote system would have handed the Tories a razor thin edge over the Libs. It would have more than doubled New Democrat seats, handing the NDP a solid balance of power.
Mixed member proportional would have delivered a modest lead to the Liberals but a doubling of New Dem seats, again giving the NDP the balance of power.
The more commentary I read the less sense proposed systems make. Our present system allows small rural riding ( like the one I live in ) more influence than far larger urban riding . They both get one member but proportionality doesn't exist.
ReplyDeleteThat said the others are all flawed as well. PR is unconstitutional, just ask PEI. MP's would be divorced from local representation. Single transferable is complicated, silly and the prevailing party would still not be the voters intended choice. Second and third choices aren't what people really want . Mixed member Prop just as bad: no real winner and MP's with no riding responsibilities.
A close look tells me that under any of these 4 systems, the result would be the same; a minority government led by a centrist party .
Did you read the analysis, Rumley?
DeleteYes
DeleteI can't recall any MP in the past 37 years who was essential to me for anything personally. Nothing that couldn't be handled by a bureaucrat. This idea that getting an MP to better represent the broad brush strokes (right-wing/centrist/left-wing/socialist/environmentalist/what-have-you) through proportional representation will be a death-blow to democracy at the constituency level is ridiculous nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI went back and reread the post. It remains unconvincing. PR is unconstitutional but the author led with it to say the liberals lost for clickbait. Mixed member attracts me a bit but we would have the same results no matter what systems. A minority government from an election where nobody won a majority but where . depending on the system, the numbers are massaged two or three times to arrived at a " majority ".
ReplyDeleteLets face it folks : Canadians did not vote for a majority no matter how their wishes could be manipulated under a different system.
I have never spoken to my MP in 52 years of voting, but I want to see local representation.