My Recommendation for Electoral Reform

Yes, I’m depressed about the status of this election.

No, I don’t think the vast majority of Canadians are going to ‘win’ this election because we’re stupid to figure out how to work together.

The Conservatives are the only party that refuses to institute or pursue electoral reform, an issue that I consider to be the ONLY issue in this election.

This system is prone to being gamed and Harper has all the coins for the slots, so he’s the only one coming up with 7s.  Or cherries.  Or whatever.

Anyways, I have two rays of hope:

1. The progressive vote may actually overwhelm the 30% of gullibles out there and someone will win a majority or possibly a minority.  Since all of the progressive parties have some element of electoral reform attached to their platforms, 2015 could be the last unfair election.
2. The Conservatives will win yet again and Stephen Harper will finally retire from politics shortly into his new term, opening things up for hostile and petty internal fighting within the Conservative ranks finally giving Canadians a chance to take back their country in 2019.

Let’s go with a progressive minority.  Let’s hope that they actually do something about electoral reform.

For the record, here’s what I would ask of all the progressive parties:

1. Allow Canadians to vote for the leader
2. Allow Canadians to vote for their local representative

Both votes would be a ranked ballot.  So, I might pick May over Mulcair or Trudeau, but my vote would be in that order.  This way Elizabeth May might wind up being the leader of Canada and would have to assemble a cabinet out of other candidates or leaders in the community, from any party.

The same would happen at the representative level, with a mandate of having to work with the Canadian ‘Leader’.  Yes, a party-to-party aggregation would be nice, but all relationships are messy and we have to find ways to navigate and negotiate, so why do we expect politics should only work when we have majorities (aka school yard bullies)?

It essentially mirrors the US system of voting, where we would elect a leader and House of Representatives (leaving the Senate out for the moment).

I know … it would actually put more power into the hands of the leader’s office, like how the President has the ability to veto bills from the House, but hey, it’s worked out.  Ok.  Ish.

So yeah, ultimately I guess my recommendation for electoral reform would be to rip the whole damn thing open and reconsider our ties to the monarchy (quite a sticky wicket, I agree), the House of Commons, the Prime Minister’s Office and other institutions.

Phew!  I don’t envy those who will try to make this happen.

Just push for a progressive win, OK?