tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post1147661670889529695..comments2023-01-14T05:10:26.912-05:00Comments on Democracy Under Fire: A No Win Situation From The StartRuralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11814103548500393628noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-4994277861143872252017-02-09T12:29:53.169-05:002017-02-09T12:29:53.169-05:00Good to hear from you again Allen. I cannot substa...Good to hear from you again Allen. I cannot substantially disagree with you but cannot help wonder if the cure is worse than the disease, at least in the case of some of the available voting systems. Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11814103548500393628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-47329262589356570842017-02-09T11:18:26.134-05:002017-02-09T11:18:26.134-05:00For 150 years we have been doing the same thing an...For 150 years we have been doing the same thing and expecting different results. That is electing alternating liberal and conservative governments.<br /><br />As citizens if we want to change how we are governed we must act differently ourselves. That would mean embracing a party that puts forward a policy of electoral reform as one of its primary planks.<br />But we don't.<br />We continue to believe that a vote cast for the perceived winner, the mainstream candidates, is the only method of retaining the value of your individual vote. Anything less is to "waste" your vote.<br />Yet here we are yet again. Those that supported change by voting for the liberal party find themselves in the same old boat. And whether you're a liberal or conservative voter, there will shall all remain.Alan Goodhallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01434987945087327566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-51597842159435717112017-02-06T19:00:36.252-05:002017-02-06T19:00:36.252-05:00You and I have disagreed before Frank, and on this...You and I have disagreed before Frank, and on this we must agree to disagree again!Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11814103548500393628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-3559791496108662732017-02-06T18:42:18.373-05:002017-02-06T18:42:18.373-05:00You write you are “very tired of the ‘He broke his...You write you are “very tired of the ‘He broke his promise, He broke his promise, He broke his promise’ rhetoric”. What I’m tired of is folks giving politicians they support a free ride. It is not that Trudeau just broke his promise on electoral reform, it is that he raised the spectre of electoral reform when there was no clarion call for it except by the Liberals who were in third place. Then, having won his vast majority with an almost identical percentage of the vote as the last gang of sewer rats, he suddenly determined that folks weren’t all that interested in such reform. He was a liar when made the promise and he remains so today. <br />He also clearly did not like the committee recommendation when was for PR and not his (and yours, you admit) preferred choice ranked ballot. Of course Trudeau and both the major parties and their supporters prefer the ranked ballot; it all but makes a certainty that the two parties that have governed since time began for Canada will almost certainly win. <br /><br />On the bottom of your blog you ask readers to Support Democracy. I say the same to you. PR, and my preference is MMP, at least allows for outcomes of votes to allow for proportionate representation.<br />You can give a pass, just as others who voted for Harper gave him a pass, but the fact is, Trudeau made promises knowing full well some would not be honoured. And then you blame the committee for not coming up with a SPECIFIC recommendation. That was Monsef’s line and Trudeau’s. At least be honest. The Liberals were looking for an out and anything, even a thin line like that will do. The truth is, Trudeau had no intention of honouring his promise and that became evident from day one when he won his majority. His main error, contrary to your assertion, is not that he made the promises he could not deliver, but that he made promises he had no intention of honouring.Frank A. Pelaschukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06351942301350409395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-57669521578999874042017-02-05T15:37:24.588-05:002017-02-05T15:37:24.588-05:00That was my personal preference, which I tried not...That was my personal preference, which I tried not to push to hard in my discussions of the dozens of systems and variations available, Lorne. Right from the start JT said that it was his preference and was widely taken to task for choosing a system that would favor the liberals (something that is far from clear). Then the committee and the 'experts' dismissed this simple first step out of hand, so as I say above he was damned if he did and damned if he did not enable such a system no matter how brought in. I do not blame him at all for dumping the whole can of worms! Ruralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11814103548500393628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7682160518082145513.post-83714697075578245862017-02-05T15:06:24.642-05:002017-02-05T15:06:24.642-05:00I know you have followed this issue very closely f...I know you have followed this issue very closely for a long time, Rural, and I deeply respect your views on electoral reform. I would be interested to know what your thoughts would be had Trudeau opted for a 'first step' of reform by going to a ranked ballot for the next election. Thanks.Lornehttp://www.politicsanditsdiscontents.blogspot.canoreply@blogger.com