Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Ontario MMP Referendum

Canada, Eh has an excellent article today, MMP FAQ's, on Ontario's upcoming mixed-member proportional representation referendum:

What is MMP?

MMP or mixed-member proportional representation is a political system used in places like New Zealand and Germany, where voters cast a two-part ballot, selecting both a preferred local candidate and a political party.

In Ontario's version, voters would choose "local" MPPs in the traditional way in 90 newly created, larger ridings instead of the existing 107 constituencies. With their vote for the party of their choice on the second part of the ballot, they would also select an additional 39 MPPs from lists of candidates compiled by the parties.

These "list" MPPs would be elected based on their parties' popular vote, to top up a party's tally of "local" MPPs and more accurately reflect results across the province.

The Legislature would be expanded to 129 MPPs to accommodate the changes.

Ontario's Chief Electoral Officer also outlines the choice ahead here.

I'm just beginning to wrap my brain around the MMP issue, and haven't formulated an opinion yet. I expect to have more to say once I've have studied the proposal further.

In the meanwhile, on the "nay" side, visit NOMMP.

And on the "Yes" side, here's a video from Ontario Citizens Assembly, the citizen task force appointed by the Province to review electoral reform, which has proposed this change:

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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4 comments:

Steve Withers said...

G'day

It is particularly important to study WHY the Citizens Assembly recommended MMP for Ontario and voted 94 to 8 in favour of it.

The official campaign by Elections Ontario has been prevented from communicating the substance of the recommendation: the "Why".

If you what to know WHY, you need to go find out for ourself at the OCA web site: www.ciizensassembly.gov.on.ca

If you then decide to support MMP, you can go to voteformmp.ca and do that.

I'm from Ontario, but I've lived under an MMP system in New Zealand for the past 11 years. I know first-hand what the OCA membrs knew when they voted to recommend MMP: It's a LOT better than what we have now.

In particular, the list candates of all NZ parties are democratically elected to the list by the votes of party members. No one would tolerate anything else. This is also true of Scotland, Wales and Germany. There is NO real-world evidence to support a case that "party bosses appoint party hacks" to the lists.

If you want to see REAL MMP-elected MPs, (list and local) including their Parlimentary AND *local* contact info, check these out:

http://www.labour.org.nz/Our_mps_top/index.html
http://www.national.org.nz/MPList.aspx
http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/contact.php
http://www.greens.org.nz/people/mps.htm

If there are any "party hacks" in there, they will be in the FPTP *local* seats....NOT the lists. Especially where the smaler paries are concerned. With only 7 or 8 of them, they don't have ROOM for anyone who doesn't work their arses right OFF.

That's the REALITY of MMP.

Unknown said...

Check out this video from Thursday's CBC Politics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVO_umCQNaA

Goes into the phony majority problems with our current system, the excessive partisanship, and the plight of voters living in stronghold ridings and who have no say in our legislature.

Anonymous said...

why, that's a rather flashy video .. who among the 52 men and 52 women do you think developed it? was there any guidance?

also, 52 men + 52 women = 103 citizens?

who is 103? maybe women votes have a higher citizen value then men? ungendered?

--
Chris

Anonymous said...

why, that's a rather flashy video .. who among the 52 men and 52 women do you think developed it? was there any guidance?

also, 52 men + 52 women = 103 citizens?

who is 103? maybe women votes have a higher citizen value then men? ungendered?