For many voters, the Harris government represented a necessary evil – a political enema to purge the province of excess.
MMP went down in a ball of flame, I hope that isn't the end of the debate, unfortunately no one even knew what they were voting for. A co-worker confessed to me this morning that they didn't know what it was about and voted the status quo, this guy is a very intelligent hard working guy with a business and engineering background. He was just too busy, and missed the one pamphlet that came in the mail. It did raise the astute point that many Ontarians don't understand the principles of economics and finance, and you expect them to understand an entire new voting system with out a concerted effort of education? The debate from the no side was rather poisonous, I can admit MMP was imperfect, but it was hardly the bastion of a Taliban Canada. We shall see what direction they take it from here, maybe baby steps to an improved system are in order?
Alternatively I recommend a new method, I call it, First Past the Mixed Member Proportional Post.
The way you do it is you run an FFP election to elect the one hundred and some odd seats there are, then you assign list candidates from each party list until you have a popular vote representation. Then you stick them all on the front door step of Queen's Park together. Then you let them race into the legislature the first members to claim one of the 107 seats, gets to keep it. All and all, I think there will be a great mandate to help Athletics Ontario, and Sports Medicine and a decline in childhood obesity.
Another alternative is First to Mix Up a Member with the Post, in which you arrive at the same grouping of 107 + balance members, give them all quarterstaff's, and let them club each other until only 107 remain.
Okay I'm done with my less then pithy commentary. It's been a busy work week and I need to get back to it.
3 comments:
How about first post of mixed (read balanced) policy essay representive of their riding/provinces needs worthy of an A+
We could get a panal of disgruntled teachers to mark them (although this might lead to eduction funding biases)and they could keep revising and submitting until 107 of them had received A+ grades...
Or the populus could vote on their essays... though this could lead to delays in forming the government.. and regional imbalances and possible disadvantages for not native english or french speakers... maybe they should write bilingual essays?
Actually... I think the problem, aside from some gaping gaps in education efforts, was the manner in which the referendum was worded... Why only 2 choices? I also felt that there should have been clear guidelines as to when the new system would be reviewed and how the public would have say in improving or abandoning the system if it didn't work. It was just too black or white... there wasn't any room for people to say - I'm interested in change, but I don't like the recomendation or I'm interested MMP, but only on a trial basis...
Like most Ontarians, given the brutal voter turnout, I feel oddly ambivalent about the whole election. What I really want is for the province to be run well - within the funding available. Aside from the faith based schooling issue, which should be left alone so that education funds are not diverted to a multiplicity of redundant school or to fighting a constitutional battle. I really didn't have any major concerns about any of the parties. I think all three of the leaders are remarkably principled and humble for politicians and that by and large there wasn't huge policy diffrences between them.
And I appear to be writing a blog in your comments box
I'm not saying that their platforms were the same, just that they were all mostly fairly palatable to centrist voters... but I might still be getting myself into trouble with generalizations
Sorry Geoff
Two more comments - :P
One - I could do without an Harrisenema any day of the week
Two - MMP goes down in a ball of flames is a bit melodramatic. 37% voted for it.... I think ball of flame would mean something more like 5 %
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