How do we choose our MPs and MLAs?

[August1991]

There was an interesting discussion on French CBC (radio) this week concerning how we choose our deputies to parliament. This is the perception in Quebec and I think it translates partially into English Canada.

The idea suggested is that we have four types of deputies:

1. A local party activist who manages, with time, to get the nomination in a riding where the party has a chance of winning.

2. A local star (someone who has achieved fame in the region but has no party affiliation) who the party invites to run.

3. A parachuted candidate, someone famous or someone the leader wants, dropped into the riding.

4. A sacrificial lamb - a candidate who accepts to run for the party when it's obvious the party has no chance.

The questions were: which candidates stand the best chance of success (and why do sacrificial lambs run)?

Given Dion's desire to use affirmative action, these questions seem appropriate. And for those who think PR would make our legislatures more democratic, as one commenter noted: PR relies on party lists.

----

This issue arose in part because of the PQ's choice of Bernard Drainville as a candidate in the upcoming Quebec election. Drainville was a senior CBC political journalist (Don Newman) who has now crossed over.

Drainville interviewed Boisclair days before announcing his candidacy and Drainville also covered the recent PQ convention, making sympathetic comments about Boisclair's leadership. Such ambiguity is now subject of serious discussion.

Parti Québécois leader André Boisclair says neither he nor his latest star candidate, former Radio-Canada journalist Bernard Drainville, did anything wrong by sitting down for a television interview Feb. 3.

The interview was highly criticized because Drainville — the former Radio-Canada bureau chief in Quebec City — was being recruited by the PQ as a candidate in the next provincial election.

CBC

[gc1765]

(and why do sacrificial lambs run)?

Probably to get experience. I looked at some of the profiles of people in ridings where the party had no chance...some of them were political science students. That is one good reason why people shouldn't be limited in the number of times they run and lose.

Ok, I might be imagining the part about students running, but I thought I saw that somewhere. Anyways, you get my point.

[jdobbin]

There was an interesting discussion on French CBC (radio) this week concerning how we choose our deputies to parliament. This is the perception in Quebec and I think it translates partially into English Canada.

The idea suggested is that we have four types of deputies:

1. A local party activist who manages, with time, to get the nomination in a riding where the party has a chance of winning.

2. A local star (someone who has achieved fame in the region but has no party affiliation) who the party invites to run.

3. A parachuted candidate, someone famous or someone the leader wants, dropped into the riding.

4. A sacrificial lamb - a candidate who accepts to run for the party when it's obvious the party has no chance.

The questions were: which candidates stand the best chance of success (and why do sacrificial lambs run)?

Given Dion's desire to use affirmative action, these questions seem appropriate. And for those who think PR would make our legislatures more democratic, as one commenter noted: PR relies on party lists.

----

This issue arose in part because of the PQ's choice of Bernard Drainville as a candidate in the upcoming Quebec election. Drainville was a senior CBC political journalist (Don Newman) who has now crossed over.

Drainville interviewed Boisclair days before announcing his candidacy and Drainville also covered the recent PQ convention, making sympathetic comments about Boisclair's leadership. Such ambiguity is now subject of serious discussion.

Traditionally, it is the party activist who has the best chance of winning. Many people often recognize that star candidates lack the knowledge of the party infrastructure or of politics in general to win. They are often placed in ridings where that are held by the other party and are difficult to win.

Here are how some star candidates have performed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_candidate

As for the former reporters becoming politicians:

Peter Kent

Jim Munson

[jdobbin]

Probably to get experience. I looked at some of the profiles of people in ridings where the party had no chance...some of them were political science students. That is one good reason why people shouldn't be limited in the number of times they run and lose.

Ok, I might be imagining the part about students running, but I thought I saw that somewhere. Anyways, you get my point.

They also get elected when things change rapidly such as in Ontario, New Brunswick or Manitoba over the years.

[geoffrey]

(and why do sacrificial lambs run)?

Probably to get experience. I looked at some of the profiles of people in ridings where the party had no chance...some of them were political science students. That is one good reason why people shouldn't be limited in the number of times they run and lose.

How does studying political science make anyone qualified for a government spot? Personally I'd like to see a finance expert in the Finance spot, an accountant running the Treasury Board and God forbid a doctor running the Health show. Political science essientially teaches alot about the background, history and protocols of government, but I don't think those are really important. That's why you have a possie of PS students as pages to do that work for you.

Essientially, I'd say political experts are the last people I'd like to see in government. The disconnect between academic/government only types and real world society is what gives us alot of the trouble in government.

Personal pet peeve that's all, people that think the best way into politics is through their University's political science club. Ugh.

[August1991]

As for the former reporters becoming politicians:

Peter Kent

Jim Munson

And then there's Adrienne Clarkson or Michaelle Jean.

----

In Quebec, the "ethnic candidate" doesn't exist. Quebecers have yet to see (stand corrected) the phenomenon of an ethnic group taking control of the candidate selection process in a riding and winning the nomination.

As I listened to the radio discussion, that's what I thought of.

[gc1765]

How does studying political science make anyone qualified for a government spot? Personally I'd like to see a finance expert in the Finance spot, an accountant running the Treasury Board and God forbid a doctor running the Health show. Political science essientially teaches alot about the background, history and protocols of government, but I don't think those are really important. That's why you have a possie of PS students as pages to do that work for you.

Essientially, I'd say political experts are the last people I'd like to see in government. The disconnect between academic/government only types and real world society is what gives us alot of the trouble in government.

Personal pet peeve that's all, people that think the best way into politics is through their University's political science club. Ugh.

I don't think it necessarily makes you more qualified...but I think knowing about politics helps your chances of getting elected. Having experience running a campaign, even if you lost, will probably help you with the next election. I'm guessing that's why many people looking to get into politics (ie political science students, or anyone who is young and unexperienced) run, as well as what jdobbin said about things changing. Or, who knows, maybe those people are just really interested in politics. Why do we post messages on this internet board?

[jdobbin]

In Quebec, the "ethnic candidate" doesn't exist. Quebecers have yet to see (stand corrected) the phenomenon of an ethnic group taking control of the candidate selection process in a riding and winning the nomination.

As I listened to the radio discussion, that's what I thought of.

You mean there are no Francophone ethnic candidates?

[geoffrey]

Why do we post messages on this internet board?

Touche.

[August1991]

You men there are no Francophone ethnic candidates?

In Montreal, yes. But these are concious decisions of party members to choose an ethnic candidate because it means likely party success.

For example, Dion was elected in an ethnic riding. In gaining his Liberal riding nomination, Dion never faced an ethnic organization choosing a specific ethnic candidate. To my knowledge, such brazen ethnic sales of party memberships don't exist in Quebec.

Sorry for the use of the word "ethnic" - allophone would be better, if just as less politically correct.

[Remiel]

If there was a good way to gauge the suitability of politicians, we would of created paradise a long time ago. That being said, I somewhat agree with geoffrey on having people with the right knowledge in various portfolios, but it is not necessarily the be all and end all of it. I don't particularly want to have someone with a lot of excess baggage from their area of expertise, in the form of professional biases, or unduly influential connections. There needs to be a degree of independance in such people.