Feds should take another look at electoral reform
OTTAWA—The government’s reasons for not putting in place a proportional representation system included their assertion that the House Electoral Reform Committee failed to propose an actual, detailed system for Canada. While the mixed-member proportional system got a lot of attention during the hearings, people were concerned about whether a party list would be required, and […]
A ray of light for electoral reform
When Prime Minister Trudeau pronounced: “I think we can see that there is a fairly clear desire out there to improve our electoral system” he was right. Although he recently darkened the skies of electoral reform by claiming: “There is no consensus. There is no clear path forward. It would be irresponsible to do something that […]
More Canadians favour keeping first-past-the-post than don’t, except in B.C.: poll
More Canadians support the government’s decision not to change Canada’s voting system than oppose it, a new poll suggests. Toronto-based Forum Research asked 1,340 Canadian voters across the country if they “support the federal government’s decision to keep Canadian voting procedures the same” between Feb. 24 and 26. A plurality, 45 per cent, said that they […]
Canadians abroad have a right to vote too
Bill C-33 recognizes the right to vote of Canadians living outside the country by removing the arbitrary limit for those abroad five years or more. Contrary to the views in the recent Hill Times article “Canadian expats shouldn’t have unlimited voting rights,” by Andrew Griffith and Robert Vineberg, Canadians should view our citizens abroad as […]
Can Geert Wilders win the Dutch election à la Trump?
LONDON, U.K.—The Dutch political system may not have been deliberately designed to produce middle-of-the-road outcomes, but it certainly works that way in practice: many small parties, multi-party coalitions, and perpetual compromise. It is almost impossible to radicalize a system like this, but Geert Wilders is going to try. Wilders is the founder and leader of […]
Canadian politicians have been using ‘alternative facts’ for years
MONTREAL—Contrary to an increasingly popular Canadian belief, the Trump administration does not have a monopoly on so-called alternative facts. Nor did it invent the concept. Deliberate distortions of reality have been part and parcel of the Canadian political discourse for years, and no party including the one that is currently in power at the national […]
Liberal nomination process: so much for openness and transparency
OTTAWA—Old habits die hard. Witness the Liberal Party of Canada’s nomination process, if you can call it that, in Markham-Thornhill, Ont. where a former senior staffer in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office is now the Liberal candidate. While I don’t know Mary Ng, the former director of appointments in Trudeau’s office and now the Liberal […]
Canada’s former chief electoral officers eager for successor, laud proposed electoral legislative changes
Canada’s former chief electoral officers Marc Mayrand and Jean-Pierre Kingsley are lauding changes proposed in new legislation, including moving the elections commissioner back under the authority of Elections Canada and removing restrictions on who can apply for the job of commissioner. But they also say there are other issues to be addressed, and with only […]
Trudeau will have a close eye on B.C.’s spring election
VANCOUVER—With all hands on deck on Parliament Hill to keep Canada/United States relations on as even a keel as possible, the last thing Justin Trudeau needs is a political storm in British Columbia. With the province heading to the polls this spring, there are clouds on the horizon. Donald Trump’s presidential victory has already forced […]
How to counter the Liberal advantage
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Sometimes a political forecast isn’t a prediction; it’s more like a common sense observation. For instance, common sense tells me, that all things being equal, the next federal election will be handily won by the Justin Trudeau Liberals. I say that simply because the Liberals happen to enjoy a huge inherent structural advantage over […]
