Comment 61735

By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 29, 2011 at 12:27:16 in reply to Comment 61725

This. I think Canadian voters have watched 3 elections go by with minimal change and the 4th will be largely the same... and are getting annoyed with the process. Ever since the Reform/PC alliance was formed, the problems with our parliamentary system have become painfully apparent.

First, we have FPTP meaning that a divided left is hamstrung at the riding level. For example, Sweet in ADFW would likely have never been elected against a united party.

Second, we have the national problem of plurality-means-government. Instead of the British system where coalition is the default assumption, we let plurality form the government and take the PM's office... which might work fine if the PM's party were in the center beside two extremes, so with each confidence issue they could court one side and maintain compromise. But when they're out on a fringe next against a left-winged majority, they're going to keep losing confidence motions over and over, but they keep getting re-elected because of the plurality bug.

It's a fundamentally unbalanced system, and it's going to keep falling over.

If you think about it, the natural equilibrium of our current system with the current parties is endless elections. The Conservatives can't develop a consensus compromise because they're out on the side of the political spectrum, but they keep getting re-elected because their opposing majority is divided.

The PM should be elected by run-off voting in the House, similar in the manner of the Speaker.

That, combined with IRV or approval voting, would go a long way to making Canadian politics work.

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds