DOCSLIB.ORG

Brief to the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform Submitted By

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Brief to the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform Submitted By Brief to the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform Submitted by Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) 290A Danforth Avenue Toronto, ON M4K 1N6 Tel: 416-469-2446 Email: [email protected] January 2007 Mr Chair, Members of the Assembly: Thank you for this opportunity to discuss proposals for meaningful electoral reform in Ontario, and proportional representation in particular. First, we would like to introduce ourselves: The CPC (Ontario) is a registered political party in Ontario. We became a registered party in 1975 after a mass province wide campaign to collect 10,000 signatures of registered voters, each of whom agreed that the CPC (Ontario) should be registered, should have the right to continue to participate in provincial elections and in the electoral life of the province. In fact, the CPC has participated in the political life of this province since its birth in Guelph, Ontario in 1921. We are one of the oldest parties in Ontario, and in Canada. Until 1972, parties were not required to register provincially or federally; they simply put forward their policies and candidates following the requirements for nomination of candidates, which at that time were a nomination deposit, nomination signatures, and a financial accounting following the campaign. When provincial legislation was passed in the early 70s requiring political parties to register in order to participate in provincial election campaigns, the requirements for registration were that the party seeking registration either had to have members already elected to the Legislature; or had to collect the signatures of at least 10,000 qualified voters who supported that party’s registration. These requirements were so onerous that it was evident to all that the legislation was actually intended to restrict the number of parties able to participate to those already represented in the Legislature. This self-serving legislation passed by three parties in the Legislature, aimed to exclude all others, and to tilt the playing field to such an extent that only they could participate in the political process and the political life of the province. The CPC (Ontario) was the first party to pass this undemocratic and restrictive hurdle. Others later followed. Our first recommendation to you is that undemocratic hurdles such as this, aimed to prevent new parties or small parties from registering and participating in the political life of the province should be eliminated. The broad public support that the CPC (Ontario) received in 1975, in its campaign to register, was a very public demonstration of the public’s opposition to undemocratic restrictions prohibiting the participation of political parties. The message was that criticism of the status quo is desirable, that new policies and ideas are useful, and that democracy and the public interest is better served when there is a spectrum of political parties - in and out of the Legislature, which the public can hear from, join, and support financially, politically, and with their vote. This public expression of discontent with the hurdles in the Legislation was echoed in the federal sphere, with several reports on electoral reform advocating the idea that electoral legislation should facilitate the birth of new political parties which have a role other than government or opposition, and in particular, the introduction of new policy ideas, sharp critique of government and opposition, and the involvement of the public in a broader spectrum of political life. Participating in the life of a broad spectrum of political parties during and between elections was seen to be an important part of democracy, and in the public interest. In the 1993 Figueroa case, brought by the Communist Party of Canada in Figueroa vs the Attorney General, such hurdles at the federal level, including a 50 candidate threshold, $1,000 non-refundable candidate deposits, seizure of assets and dissolution of the party for failing to comply, were found to be unconstitutional; an abrogation of the right of all Canadians to freedom of speech and freedom of political association. Despite two appeals and 10 years of litigation by the Attorney General, the substance of the lower court ruling in favour of the CPC was not overturned, though the CPC was denied the rights of a registered political party through 3 federal election campaigns to identify its candidates and policies to voters, to free-time and paid political broadcasts, to receive donations and to issue tax receipts, and to participate in public political debate and discourse. While appealing the CPC’s court victories, the federal government to introduce new hurdles for new and small parties, in the form of a financial windfall for those parties currently in Parliament through the transfer of public money to political parties which have received more than 2% of the popular vote, at a rate of $1.75 per vote. Of the 15 federally registered parties, only the Green Party was finally able to pass the hurdle and receive public funding “grants” from Elections Canada (which it could forfeit at any time if its vote declines). Simultaneously, restrictions on contributions have made it virtually impossible for the small parties to raise sufficient funds to mount the kind of campaigns necessary to win an election. Unable to access Elections Canada per vote funding, and prevented from accepting donations over $1,100 from individuals or public organizations such as trade unions, the small parties have been deliberately relegated to the political backwaters – not because of their ideas, but because of legislation drawn up and passed by those parties who have a direct and vital interest in preventing their competitors from seeing the light of day. In response, several of the small parties including the CPC acted together in 2006 to challenge the 2% threshold; and once again the courts upheld the challenge as unconstitutional. Further, in an unusual legal move, the Attorney General has appealed the decision and asked the court to withhold the payments to the small parties which are entitled to as a result of the court decision, until the government’s appeal is heard. Or perhaps, based on the CPC’s experience, until all avenues of appeal are exhausted and new hurdles can be put in place by the losers – that is, those political parties who make the rules and pass the bills in the House. Our second recommendation to you is to remove the current thresholds in the provincial legislation which require candidates and parties to receive 5% of the popular vote as a condition for financial re-imbursement of expenses and for payments which only those in the Legislature currently receive. We are opposed to any threshold which provides financial and other benefits to some parties, and excludes others. Third, we recommend that you oppose any proposals to impose limits on contributions. Instead we recommend you propose strict and low limits on election spending, including spending between elections. This would help to level the electoral playing field, reducing paid advertising and the sense elections are won or lost with advertising spots (negative or positive), and returning the election process to community meetings and debates on policy issues with all of the candidates present and participating. Fourth, we recommend that you oppose any proposals to introduce a provincial voter’s identity card. This will reduce electoral participation, and those most likely to be excluded are young voters, tenants, the homeless, and those who move frequently. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the CEO of Canada, has stated repeatedly that voter fraud is not a significant problem in Canada, and that every single case of voter fraud reported to Elections Canada has been followed up and found to be not fraudulent. On the other hand, the federal Conservative Party was found to have “erred”, in under-reporting to Elections Canada half a million dollars in donations. Fraud? An identity card will restrict eligible electors from excercizing their constitutionally protected franchise. It is not coincidental that the largest majority of those who will denied the right to vote with the introduction of an identity card, would not be casting a vote for the status quo, and are much more likely to support the opposition including the small parties. Fifth, we recommend that public debates, which are the essence of public participation, must be accessible to all candidates nominated in a riding, and to all parties in leaders’ debates and party debates. Sixth, we recommend that the Broadcast Act be amended to allow all political parties equal access to Free Time political broadcasts, and to paid political broadcasts at the lowest rate. This should include access to time during and between elections. Seventh, we recommend that accountability can be best be addressed by legislating right to recall legislation that would allow the public to intervene between elections and to assert itself with a recall in the event of mass public opposition. This would be useful in addressing such seemingly common practices as a member crossing the floor. Eighth, we recommend that a system of Mixed Member Proportional Representation should be introduced in Ontario this year. We believe that you have already heard extensively from organizations and individuals appearing before you about the serious problems of the first-past-the- post system and the undemocratic results that accrue from elections governed by this system. We do not intend to repeat these arguments, but draw your attention to the facts laid out in the Dubious Democracy Report prepared by Fair Vote Canada, which is attached. We urge you to adopt a remedy – Mixed member proportional – that will help correct the gaping inequities in the current system; strengthen parliamentary democracy in Ontario; and increase and strengthen public participation in the political life of the province, including the election of greater numbers of women, youth, Aboriginal Peoples and visible minorities.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Communist Party of Canada
    Communist Party of Canada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Communist Party of Canada Active Federal Party Founded May 1921 Leader Miguel Figueroa President Miguel Figueroa Headquarters 300 - 279 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5J9 Political ideology Communism International alignment Solidarity Network Colours Red, Yellow Website http://www.communist-party.ca/ The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. It is a minor political party without elected representation at present in either the federal Parliament or in any provincial legislature. Contents [hide] • 1 History o 1.1 Origins o 1.2 Expulsion of factions o 1.3 Great Depression o 1.4 Labour-Progressive Party o 1.5 Collapse of the Soviet bloc and party split o 1.6 Reconstituted party o 1.7 2005 split • 2 General Secretaries of the CPC • 3 Central Executive Committee • 4 Election results o 4.1 By-elections • 5 See also • 6 External links [edit] History [edit] Origins The Communist Party was organized with great secrecy in a barn near the city of Guelph, Ontario, in May 1921. Many of its founding members had belonged to groups such as the Socialist Party of Canada, One Big Union, the Socialist Labor Party, the Industrial Workers of the World, and other socialist, Marxist or Labour parties or clubs. The party was founded as the Canadian section of the Comintern, and was thus similar to Communist parties around the world. The party alternated between legality and illegality during the 1920s and 1930s. It was initially illegal, and created the Workers' Party of Canada in 1922 as its public face.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian War Dead from the Second World War, Buried in Italy
    Canadian War Dead from the Second World War, Buried in Italy AGIRA CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, SICILY, Italy Commonwealth War Dead (1939-1945) AKERLEY, Private, GEORGE L., G/21001. Carleton and York Regiment, R.C.I.C.. 11 July 1943. Age 30. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Allen A. Akerley; husband of Madaline Patricia Joan Akerley, of Great Bookham, Surrey, England. Grave Reference: C, F, 338. ALCORN, Private, GLENDON M., F/41550. West Nova Scotia Regiment, R.C.I.C.. 9 August 1943. Age 23. Son of Murray Clifford Alcorn and Marjorie Florence Alcorn, of Bear River, Nova Scotia. Grave Reference: D, F, 468. ALEXY, Private, DAN JOHN, K/65304. Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. 21 July 1943. Age 24. Son of John and Grace Alexy, of Three Creeks, Alberta. Grave Reference: B, D, 180. ALLEMAN, Private, MARTIN, M/17135. Loyal Edmonton Regiment, R.C.I.C.. 3 August 1943. Age 49. Son of George and Felitzita Alleman. Grave Reference: D, E, 449. ALLINGHAM, Trooper, ROBERT FRANK, D/71051. 4th Recce. Regt., 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, R.C.A.C.. 19 July 1943. Grave Reference: A, B, 27. ALLISON, Private, WILLIAM, A/3285. Royal Canadian Regiment. 25 July 1943. Age 23. Son of David and Jane Allison, of London, Ontario; husband of Rosemary M. Allison, of London, Ontario. Grave Reference: B, D, 187. AMIRAULT, Gunner, RESTHER JOSEPH, F/86997. 2 Field Regt., Royal Canadian Artillery. 7 August 1943. Grave Reference: C, A, 256. ANDERSON, Private, HUGH R., B/132103. Royal Canadian Regiment. 18 July 1943. Age 28. Son of James and Elisabeth Anderson; husband of Helen Anderson.
    [Show full text]
  • SPRING 2014 May 16-18 ® University Dignitaries and Invited Speakers Charles W
    ® 143RD yeaR of the UNIveRSIty May 16-18 SPRING 2014 VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT UNIveRSIty DIGNItaRIeS aND INvIteD SPeakeRS Charles W. Steger, President, Virginia Tech J. Thomas Brown, Jr., Dean of Students The Honorable Terence “Terry” McAuliffe, Governor Tyler O. Walters, Dean of University Libraries of the Commonwealth of Virginia, keynote Speaker, Rosemary Blieszner, Associate Dean of the Graduate School University Commencement Muhammad R. Hajj, Associate Dean of the Graduate School Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, Executive Director, American Civil Kenneth H. Wong, Associate Dean of the Graduate School Liberties Union of Virginia, keynote Speaker, Graduate in the National Capital Region and Director of the Northern School Commencement Virginia Center The Honorable Karen R. Jackson, Secretary of Technology, Sarah M. Karpanty, Assistant Department Head, Fish and Commonwealth of Virginia, keynote Speaker, National Wildlife Conservation, Commencement Marshal, Capital Region Commencement University and Graduate School Commencements G. Robert Quisenberry, President of Quisenberry & Warren Joseph S. Merola, Professor, Department of Chemistry, Ltd., Class of 1962, William H. Ruffner Medal Award Reader of Names, Graduate School Commencement Recipient Andrea Jean Tiwari, Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Graduate Robert Lewis Turner, Retired Architect formerly with Student Marshal, Graduate School Commencement Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, LLP, Class of 1972, Shernita Lee, Ph.D. in Genetics, Bioinformatics and University Distinguished Achievement Award Recipient Computational Biology, Graduate Student Speaker, Curry A. Roberts, Principal of Hirschler Fleischer Consulting Graduate School Commencement LLC, Class of 1980, Alumni Distinguished Service Award Mordecai M. Harvey, doctoral student, Human Nutrition, Recipient Foods, and Exercise, Vice President, Graduate Student Wayne H. Robinson, Senior Client Partner and Chief Assembly Diversity Practice Leader, Wyndham Mills International, Jordan A.
    [Show full text]
  • Advisory Committee of Political Parties Meeting Summary
    Advisory Committee of Political Parties Meeting Summary Annual General Meeting June 19 and 20, 2017 ACPP Annual General Meeting, June 19 and 20, 2017 | 0 Table of Contents 1. Meeting Summary .............................................................................................................. 4 2. Introductory Remarks by the Acting Chief Electoral Officer ....................................... 4 3. Electoral Services Modernization ..................................................................................... 4 4. Political Entities Service Centre ....................................................................................... 6 5. Triennial Verification of Party Membership .................................................................. 7 6. Political Financing Training ............................................................................................. 8 7. EFR Modernization ........................................................................................................... 9 8. Accessibility Update ......................................................................................................... 10 9. Meeting Adjournment and Forward Calendar ............................................................. 11 10. Appendix A: Agenda........................................................................................................ 12 11. Appendix B: Meeting Participants ................................................................................. 13 ACPP Annual General Meeting, June
    [Show full text]
  • You Know What We Stand For’: the Divisions, Personalities, and Experiments of Organized Labour in Hamilton’S Municipal Elections, 1933-1985
    ‘You Know What We Stand For’: The Divisions, Personalities, and Experiments of Organized Labour in Hamilton’s Municipal Elections, 1933-1985 Authored by Chris Erl Supervised by Don Wells M.A. Work and Society August, 2013 This edition contains minor edits noted after initial publication. Original content has not been altered. – Chris Erl, October, 2013 1 Introduction The opening lines of a chapter in Bill Freeman and Marsha Hewitt’s Their Town: The Mafia, The Media and the Party Machine captures a popular notion about municipal politics in Hamilton. Writing in 1979, the pair declared, “One of the most striking things about Hamilton political life is that it is virtually unintelligible to any but those who follow political events in detail.”1 Fred Cutler and J. Scott Matthews devised an explanation for why this might be, and more generally why municipal government presents the appearance of being more complicated than the structures of Canada’s federal and provincial governments. Cutler and Matthews assert that there is less information available during municipal elections, which means voters are less interested in gathering information needed to make a definitive decision at the ballot box, which subsequently lead to civic disengagement. The lack of information present stems from three elements that influence Canada’s municipal elections: the absence of political parties for voter mobilization and information dissemination, voter confusion concerning the responsibilities of municipal government, and the electorate’s lack of familiarity with the municipal voting system when compared with that of the two other levels of government.2 The confusion of voters regarding civic politics, resulting in low voter turn-out, disengagement and the near-cliché return of incumbent representatives, did not dissuade Hamilton’s labour movement from becoming involved in civic government.
    [Show full text]
  • Advisory Committee of Political Parties
    Advisory Committee of Political Parties Meeting Summary Annual General Meeting June 18 and 19, 2018 ACPP Annual General Meeting, June 18 and 19, 2018 | 0 Table of Contents 1. Meeting Summary ................................................................................................................................ 4 2. Introductory Remarks by the Acting Chief Electoral Officer .................................................................. 4 3. Legislative Updates – Voter and Political Entity Services ...................................................................... 4 4. Preparing for the 2019 General Election ............................................................................................... 5 5. Voter Information Card ........................................................................................................................ 6 6. Update on the Political Entities Service Centre and Electronic Financial Returns Workshops ............... 6 7. Legislative Update - Political Financing ................................................................................................. 7 8. Electronic Financial Returns (EFR) Modernization ................................................................................. 7 9. Meeting Adjournment and Forward Calendar ...................................................................................... 8 Appendix A: Agenda ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Appendix
    [Show full text]
  • Communist Party of Canada (Pdf)
    July 8, 2016 Press Release The Communist Party of Canada today called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to intervene with Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra to restart negotiations and stop the clock on the 7 hour countdown to a lockout initiated by the corporation July 3rd to take effect at 12:01 am Monday. “Canada Post’s Deepak Chopra’s “my way or the highway” approach to bargaining won’t lead to a collective agreement and will suspend public postal services across Canada, while lining the pockets of Fed-Ex, Purolator, UPS, and other private, for-profit multi-national corporations. These companies are licking their lips at the prospects of a long work stoppage delivered by Pitney Bowes’s ex-boss Deepak Chopra, which begs the question: Whose interests is Chopra working for anyway?” said CPC leader Elizabeth Rowley. “Canada Post’s demands for massive concessions on the defined benefit pension plan, including the introduction of an inferior defined contribution plan for new hires that will eliminate any kind of pension security for the youngest workers, is a declaration of war. It will lead to the elimination of defined benefit pensions for all postal workers, likely sooner than later, as workers in the private sector have found out after hard struggles with employers to stop the theft of their DB pensions. Canada Post is also demanding concessions and roll-backs o wages and working conditions, and is refusing to address pay equity issues which have condemned female-dominated rural and suburban mail carriers to work for almost 30% less than their counterparts in urban mail carriers.
    [Show full text]
  • Advisory Committee of Political Parties Meeting Summary – April 12, 2018
    Advisory Committee of Political Parties Meeting Summary – April 12, 2018 Table of contents | 1 Table of Contents 1. Meeting Summary .............................................................................................. 2 2. Introductory Remarks and Round Table ......................................................... 2 3. Electoral District Association Training ............................................................ 3 4. Triennial Party Review ...................................................................................... 4 5. Field Pre-Event Assignments ........................................................................... 6 6. Forward Calendar and Meeting Adjournment ................................................. 8 Appendix A: Agenda ................................................................................................ 9 Appendix B: Meeting Participants ........................................................................ 10 Table of contents | 1 1. Meeting Summary The objectives of the April 12, 2018, meeting were to update the Committee on the activities that Elections Canada (EC) has conducted since the last meeting and to inform the Committee on matters that may impact parties and candidates. This summary follows the order of the agenda included in Appendix A. A list of the participants is included in Appendix B. 2. Introductory Remarks and Round Table Stéphane Perrault, Acting Chief Electoral Officer (A/CEO), welcomed members of the Advisory Committee of Political Parties (ACPP) to the April
    [Show full text]
  • A Political Strategy for the Liberation of Women: Socialist Feminist Political Practice
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
    [Show full text]
  • Candidate Results W Late Results
    Student Vote - Ontario's 39th General Election: Candidate Results by District Valid Ballots Cast Electoral District Political Code Name of Candidate Total Percent Ajax—Pickering 743 41.93 L Joe Dickson 409 23.08 PC Kevin Ashe 331 18.67 GP Cecile Willert 231 13.03 ND Bala Thavarajasoorier 58 3.27 FCP Andrew Carvalho Algoma-Manitoulin 514 33.99 L Mike Brown 432 28.57 ND Peter Denley 351 23.21 GP Ron Yurick 152 10.05 PC Ron Swain 63 4.16 FCP Ray Scott Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough— Westdale 940 30.17 GP David Januczkowski 782 25.10 PC Chris Corrigan 690 22.15 L Ted Mcmeekin 473 15.18 ND Juanita Maldonado 94 3.01 IND Martin Samuel Zuliniak 64 2.05 FCP Jim Enos 51 1.63 COR Eileen Butson 21 0.67 Sam Zaslavsky Barrie 1,629 26.21 PC Joe Tascona 1,613 25.95 GP Erich Jacoby-Hawkins 1,514 24.36 L Aileen Carroll 856 13.77 ND Larry Taylor 226 3.63 LTN Paolo Fabrizio 215 3.45 IND Darren Roskam 87 1.39 IND Daniel Gary Predie 75 1.20 FCP Roberto Sales Beaches—East York 531 35.37 ND Michael Prue 440 29.31 GP Caroline Law 307 20.45 L Tom Teahen 112 7.46 PC Don Duvall 56 3.73 FR James Whitaker 37 2.46 LTN Doug Patfield 18 1.19 FCP Joel Kidd Bramalea—Gore—Malton 1,079 38.70 L Kuldip Kular 667 23.92 GP Bruce Haines 588 21.09 PC Pam Hundal 370 13.27 ND Glenn Crowe 84 3.01 FCP Gary Nail Brampton West 1,526 37.23 L Vic Dhillon 962 23.47 PC Mark Beckles 706 17.22 ND Garth Bobb 642 15.66 GP Sanjeev Goel 131 3.19 FCP Norah Madden 131 3.19 IND Gurdial Singh Fiji Brampton—Springdale 1,057 33.95 ND Mani Singh 983 31.57 L Linda Jeffrey 497 15.96 PC Carman Mcclelland
    [Show full text]
  • List of Candidates by Electoral District and Individual Results Liste Des Candidats Par Circonscription Et Résultats Individuels
    Thirty-seventh general election 2000: TABLE 12/TABLEAU 12 Trente-septième élection générale 2000 : Official voting results Résultats officiels du scrutin List of candidates by electoral district and individual results Liste des candidats par circonscription et résultats individuels Votes obtained Majority * Electoral district Candidate and affiliation Place of residence Occupation - - - - - - Votes obtenus Majorité * Circonscription Candidat et appartenance Lieu de résidence Profession No./Nbre % No./Nbre % Newfoundland/Terre-Neuve Bonavista--Trinity--Conception Brian Tobin (Lib.) St. John's, Nfld./T.-N. Politician/Politicien 22,096 54.4 11,087 27.3 Jim Morgan (P.C./P.-C.) Cupids, Nfld./T.-N. Businessman/Homme d'affaires 11,009 27.1 Fraser March (N.D.P./N.P.D.) Blaketown, Nfld./T.-N. Self-employed/Travailleur indépendant 6,473 15.9 Randy Wayne Dawe (Alliance) Clarke's Beach, Nfld./T.-N. Businessman/Homme d'affaires 1,051 2.6 Burin--St. George's Bill Matthews (Lib.) ** Mount Pearl, Nfld./T.-N. Parliamentarian/Parlementaire 14,603 47.5 6,712 21.8 Sam Synard (NIL) Marystown, Nfld./T.-N. Educator/Éducateur 7,891 25.7 Fred Pottle (P.C./P.-C.) Kippens, Nfld./T.-N. Businessman/Homme d'affaires 5,798 18.9 Peter Fenwick (Alliance) Cape St. George, Nfld./T.-N. Journalist/Journaliste 1,511 4.9 David Sullivan (N.D.P./N.P.D.) Torbay, Nfld./T.-N. Teacher/Enseignant 924 3.0 Gander--Grand Falls George Baker (Lib.) ** Gander, Nfld./T.-N. Parliamentarian/Parlementaire 15,874 55.0 7,683 26.6 Roger K. Pike (P.C./P.-C.) Grand Falls-Windsor, Nfld./T.-N.
    [Show full text]
  • Ontario's Referendum on Electoral Reform
    Against All Odds: Winning Electoral Reform in Ontario Dennis Pilon On October 10, 2007 Ontarians will go to polls in a provin- the state of contemporary politics. Historically, governments have cial election. But this time, in addition to casting a ballot for a maintained tight control over institutional arrangements like the politician, voters will also be asked to make a choice about the voting system. Because the voting system is the link between or- kind democratic institutions they think the province should use. ganized political activity in parties and the exercise of state power On a separate referendum ballot voters will be asked whether they through control of the legislature, the tendency was typically to prefer to keep Ontario’s traditional ‘first-past-the-post’ or plural- make the rules as exclusive as possible, thus allowing only the ity voting system or would like to switch to the Mixed-Member most popular forces to gain election. This would assure that only Proportional (MMP) model as recommended by the Ontario Citi- those financed by capital would control the state. But with the zens’ Assembly. Depending on the commentator, a victory for rise of popular left wing parties, ones with a credible shot at gain- MMP would mean electoral disaster or democratic renewal for ing such exclusive state power electorally, voting system reform the province. Yet few Ontarians seem to know what the referen- became a popular method of limiting their influence. dum is about or why the public is being asked to vote on this issue. So far, the politicians have shied away from the debate while In Canada, voting system reform emerged continuously from the media have remained largely indifferent, occasionally draw- WWI to the 1950s, whenever the electoral left appeared on the ing attention to some minor implication of the proposed alterna- rise.
    [Show full text]