Don't scrap the election system

[Leafless]

The 'citizens' assembly a 103 member commitee created by Dalton McGuinty, will be proposing a mixed member proportional system in Ontario.

"The plan would reduce Ontario's 103 geographic riding's to 90, but add 39 MPPs to be chosen by political parties based on the percentage of the vote the parties attract. The goal is to make the number of seats each party holds more closely reflect its actual percentage of the vote. The members who aren't directly elected could also be used to create a better balance of gender, ethnicity or regional representation."

But the government is trying to discourage any type of electoral reform by putting in place a 'high barrier' to prevent change from the present 'first past the post' system.

"A new system must be approved by 60 per cent of all votes cast and by a majority of voters in 60 per cent of riding's. It could certainly happen, though, because people are easily convinced that anything old must be no good. Any new system will be labelled "reform."

It seems all the dissension against proportional representation is coming from the politicians themselves.

Imagine that!

I can't wait to vote on this one, if it ever gets to referendum stage.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/b...797acffb0b4&p=1

[Mad_Michael]

I am steadfastly opposed to any adoption of proportional representation.

Such a system has a systemic bias towards minority-coalition governments which are powerless to cut anything. One cannot 'cut' any program under a coalition system.

Ergo, proportional representation systems are perfect for endless expansion of the Government State (see European example).

I don't like that one bit. I want to be able to vote for a policy and I want to be able to vote to kill a policy. This becomes effectively impossible under proportional representation models.

Btw, I look forward to seeing McGuinty and his government going down in the next Provincial Election. The man is an embarrassement as Premier.

[Leafless]

I am steadfastly opposed to any adoption of proportional representation.

Why would you be opposed to a system that ensures your vote counts?

Ergo, proportional representation systems are perfect for endless expansion of the Government State (see European example).

Government state control is basically what we have now, PR is an electoral system and is used all over the world and gives fair representation.

PR is used by most of the established democracies in the world, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and Venezuela, to name a few.

I don't like that one bit. I want to be able to vote for a policy and I want to be able to vote to kill a policy. This becomes effectively impossible under proportional representation models.

Do you mean "vote for a policy" or "kill a policy" during the course of a term, or pertaining to promises of a certain parties platform, prior to an election or what exactly do you mean?

Btw, I look forward to seeing McGuinty and his government going down in the next Provincial Election. The man is an embarrassement as Premier.

So do I.

[Pat Coghlan]

Why would you be opposed to a system that ensures your vote counts?

How is it going to count under the proposed system. Are we talking about runoffs (one candidate must have 50% in order to win)? They do this in France, and the result is parties make deals not to run candidates in certain ridings etc., similar to what we just saw with Dion and the Green Party leader.

[Leafless]

Why would you be opposed to a system that ensures your vote counts?

How is it going to count under the proposed system. Are we talking about runoffs (one candidate must have 50% in order to win)? They do this in France, and the result is parties make deals not to run candidates in certain ridings etc., similar to what we just saw with Dion and the Green Party leader.

I suggest visiting the 'Citizen's Assembly' website at:

http://www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca/splash.aspx