Electoral Reform Committee announced today: Liberal Chair. Six Liberals, three Cons, 1 NDP. Elizabeth May and one Bloc sit in but no voting rights.
That's likely 9 to 1 against adopting any form of proportional representation.
For a preview of how 9 to 1 committee dynamics work, take a look at last week's Finance Committee vote, same numerical party makeup as above, as they debated a motion to "compel" KPMG to account for hiding Canadian tax dollars offshore.
How'd that work out for us?
Last word goes to PM Justin Trudeau : "A good political party that has the right kind of platform or program for Canadians should be able to make any system work."
Presumably especially one that guarantees Liberal majorities forever.
Thursday update :
G&M : Only proportionality will fix our democratic malaise
Chantal Hébert, Star : Electoral reform deck appears stacked by the Liberals to fail
Coyne, NaPo : On electoral reform: Are the Liberals conning us, again?
Fingas, Leader-Post : Trudeau's urge to control — just like the Tories
CBC May 13 At Issue Panel : Electoral Reform
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3 comments:
Mmmm, "one that guarantees Liberal majorities forever"...
That's the worry. Can they actually rig a ranked or PR system that would do that? Guess we'll find out. I don't know what leaves a more bitter taste in my mouth: partisan politics or the relative intelligence of the electorate.
Meanwhile, the partisan pissing match is already beginning over Fort McMurray: http://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/paula-simons-fort-mcmurrays-government-in-exile-out-to-protect-its-turf
It could turn into a left/right fight in the public mind, particularly in Alberta. Watch as Brian Jean uses the loss of his home to increase his political clout against the NDP. We can't seem to think outside those tiny little boxes in this country at all levels and yet the fires starkly show us that there are things happening North of Wall greater than party factionalism.
Boris : "Can they actually rig a ranked or PR system that would do that?
Yes if both Cons and Dippers rank the Libs as their second choice in a ranked ballot scenario. A ranked or preferential ballot is just a vote tabulating process that can be used with either the FPtP single-member riding system we have now or with a PropRep system. Just tacked onto FPtP it would still waste half the votes and produce greater false *majorities* which aren't majorities at all.
So I was taken aback that the official notice establishing a committee on electoral reform is worded "a study of viable alternate voting systems such as preferential ballots and proportional representation to replace the first-past-the-post system." Not a good start.
North of the Wall, summer is coming.
I was more worried they'd not appoint a committee. So it's a start. I'm holding off on judging outcomes for several reasons, one being that we don't yet what will emerge as the final options. God help them if they rig it: it'll be election fraud, just more polished and brainy that the Con variety.
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