NDP Leader Jack Layton wants a national referendum on abolishing the Senate and has plans to change how MPs are elected. Layton and NDP democratic reform critic Dave Christopherson propose letting voters decide whether to kill the Senate. The NDP would also like to see electoral reform to bring in a system of proportional representation. Proportional representation involves putting MPs into office based on the percent of vote a party receives nationally.
In order to change the voting system a national referendum would need to be held involving all the provinces; that would involve changing the constitution. Christopherson of the NDP said “We have put a lot of thought into how to go about changing Canada's parliamentary system. Despite failed referenda to implement the complicated proportional representation system in British Columbia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island, Christopherson said the process just needs to be better explained to voters.”
Proportional representation and Senate reform are two issues I have had a particular interest since I started studying politics almost ten years ago. The Senate is costly, ineffective and filled with people who remained loyal to a particular party. The Senate gives the party in power the opportunity to pack the chamber with party loyalists who block legislation coming from the House of Commons. Proportional representation would ensure that every vote counts and that even small parties like the Greens, with real issues facing Canadians, would be heard in the House of Commons. I am so passionate about changing our voting system that I will give a ten minute speech on the topic to Niagara Colleges post graduate public relations class. I am hopeful that this issue will be brought to the forefront of the political debate and that Canadians understand what is at stake.
What the NDP wants is too much. It will be near impossible to change that much, even getting rid of the Senate. If we change our voting system entirely it will cause mayham. I can understand shrinking the Senate to an amount that will be capable of doing more for the people of Canada and costing less. But sometimes too much change becomes crazy talk.If we have less than half the population voting, wouldn't the referendum be pointless?
ReplyDeleteWell they are talking about removing a body (The Senate) which is unelected and voting is based on party lines. The Senate is extremely costly and in terms of passing legislation, the House of Commons is all we need. Proportional Representation (the voting system that would replace first past the post) would ensure that each vote that is cast actually counts. When you vote, the person who gets the most support regardless of percent wins. In a three party race which almost always happens, the person with the highest support wins regardless of how the other people did leaving massive disparities in representation. These are two separate issues and are contentious ones. When you look at the facts you will agree that both need to be changed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Nathan. I am a huge supporter of Proportional Representation, and feel that this change needs to be made. As far as Megan saying it causing mayhem, I really don't believe it will. For the most part, Canadians are smart people and when shown how and why it's better, I believe they'll catch on quickly.
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