Thoughts on Canadian politics

[satorisearching]

So I see Canada's right-wing are making noise about abortion now that the Tories have a majority. Because there's nothing like a majority to bring the rifts in your party out to the forefront

Comments

[inulro]

Having spent my whole life living in two first-past-the-post systems, I have to say it is absolutely a broken system that does not work. I was one of the people who voted to change the system in Britain, and I'm afraid I really do regard the fact that the nation voted No as evidence that People Are Stupid.

A Yes vote would have given a push to Canada to change the system too.

[satorisearching]

Yeah, it's really a shame that people voted No on the referendum in order to "punish" the Lib Dems. Although I also wish Clegg had had the foresight to have held the referendum after voters had a chance to "send a message" to the Lib Dems in local elections. But I guess being out of power for 80 years or so doesn't help sharpen one's practical political instincts. :)

[sloot]

I can't tell what the fucking problem is with politics up here, other than it being a career and people doingb what is necessary to keep their jobs/seat, not doing what the country needs.

Some form of PR wouldn't hurt, but when the numbers were run on the last federal election, it still would have been a conservative majority.

I'd have to agree with "People are Stupid" with an added "Politicians like it that way"

[satorisearching]

That depends on what PR method you use.

Out of curiosity, I just ran the numbers using the D'Hondt method, assuming a single list per province. These were the results:

BC
AB
SK
MB
ON
QC

NB
NS
PE
NL
YT
NT

NU
Total

Con
17
20

8
8
48
12
5
4

2
2
1
0
1
128

NDP
12
5
5
4

27
33
3
4
0
2

0
1
0
96

Lib

5
2
1
2
27
11

2
3
2
3
0
0

0
58

BQ
0
0

0
0
0
18
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
18

Green
2
1
0
0

4
1
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
8

Total

36
28
14
14
106
75

10
11
4
7
1
1

1
308

Tories were still the largest party, but NDP+Lib are at 154, exactly one short of a majority coaltion. And then there are the 8 Greens, and the less dramatic BQ collapse, holding onto 18 seats

[sloot]

Btw: look into the lack of options in the current Ontario election.
Liberals who have fucked things up for 4 years
Conservatives who want to fuck things up for the next 4 years
NDP who won't win
Greens who might not get a seat

[satorisearching]

My options are usually:

Republicans who will fuck things up.
Democrats who will vote like Republicans so nobody is mean to them, and hence fuck things up as well.
Third parties who have never held a seat in the Nevada legislature or U.S. Congress, and never will.