Raise the Hammer

Proportional Representation is not a panacea. Our Parliamentary democracy is not perfect. It doesn't lend itself well to minority government situations, (its incredible that we have essentially had one for what....five years in two different stints), and it results in situations like we have now with the Bloc weilding a hammer in Quebec. However for almost 150 years it has served us well and Canada is still envied the world over for the democracy that it is and that we enjoy.

However the answer does not lie in forming niche issue political parties and then clamoring for proportional representation when your niche party can't win a seat in parliament. So the Green Party won 930,000 some odd votes in the last election. Big deal it was spread out across over 300 ridings. That means not enough people in any one riding in the country cared enough about the Green message or had that message resonate enough to vote for them in sufficient numbers to elect a Member of Parliament.

You want to get rid of the Bloc? End the per vote subsidy. You want representation in Parliament? Abandon your "I don't like your game so I'm making my own" attitude, join a party that most closely represents your views and work from within to change it, and have your voice and the voices of like minded people heard. You don't like the the election results? VOTE. Help get the vote that you want to see out.

I'm tired of the whining and moaning and cynicism from people of all political perspectives that their vote doesn't count, that their vote gets thrown out, that their candidate can't win. I live in a riding where my candidate of choice has a snowballs chance in hell of winning. It doesn't change my vote or my views and I am not going to piss and moan about it. I keep voting, I stay active, I try to promote views and policies in my riding and city and province and country that eventually may see that result change. THATS WHY ITS CALLED AN ELECTION. Not everybody gets in. It's not an attendance check, or a dinner resevation. It's a competition.

We live in a diposable world where instant gratification rules and it seems that that sentiment has blossomed in the political arena. You just don't throw out a system that at its root is over 1000 years old and for all intent and purpose still works very well.

Its very evident that its not good enough for some people. Largely people I bet whose political views represent a small minority in this country. They would happily scrap what we have so that the Green, Rhino, Cannabis, Polygamist, Anarchist, White Power, Hamas, parties et al, would all have seats in the House of Commons just because they garnered some votes.

You think Parliament is unproductive now?

Comment edited by Shempatolla on 2011-04-13 18:56:13