However, the shape of the legislature and the way government is determined would be significantly different under the democratic model proposed by the Citizens' Assembly.
There would be just 90 "local" MPPs directly elected to represent ridings across the province.
An additional 39 "list" MPPs would be elected to represent voters provincewide from lists of candidates nominated by each political party.
Determining the exact makeup of the legislature would be more complicated, or certainly different, than the current system.
One of the fundamental principals of the proposed system is that it provides "proportionality," meaning that there is a closer relationship between the total number of votes a party receives across the province and the total number of seats that party wins in the legislature.
Under the current electoral system, political parties win majority governments by capturing a majority of the seats across the province. However, they can and routinely do so without capturing a majority of the popular vote.
In the 2003 provincial election campaign, for example, the Liberals captured just 46.5 per cent of all the votes cast across the province but won 72 seats (70 per cent of all the seats in the legislature).
Under the proposed mixed-member proportional system, political parties would win a mix of locally elected and "list" candidates to match as closely as possible the number of overall votes they received in the election.
The Liberals, under that scenario, would have won a 48-seat minority government, not a 72-seat majority, in 2003.
Minority governments are a common outcome under mixed-member proportional electoral systems used in countries such as New Zealand and Germany.
Small and so-called fringe parties are also better represented under proportional systems. For example, the Green party in the past few elections has attracted a significant number of votes provincewide but failed to win enough in any one riding to elect a single candidate.
(...)
Other smaller parties, such as the Family Coalition Party, also welcome the new system.
Under the proposed system, political parties will have to win just three per cent of the ballots provincewide, or about 145,000 votes, to gain a list seat in the legislature.
The Family Coalition Party approached that number in 1990 but has lost support subsequently, said party leader Giuseppe Gori, because people feel the party "doesn't have a chance."
"Politics is funny," Gori said. "It's a lot to do with hope and perception."
The Family Coalition Party policies are predominately Christian-based - it is pro-life and against same-sex marriage - and, as a political party, represents a minority but not an insignificant number of voters.
One of the purposes of the new system is to give a voice to such parties, regardless of their views. It would also allow political parties to elect more women and minority MPPs, fulfilling another goal: to have the legislature better reflect provincial demographics.
(..)
Other smaller parties, such as the Family Coalition Party, also welcome the new system.
Under the proposed system, political parties will have to win just three per cent of the ballots provincewide, or about 145,000 votes, to gain a list seat in the legislature.
The Family Coalition Party approached that number in 1990 but has lost support subsequently, said party leader Giuseppe Gori, because people feel the party "doesn't have a chance."
"Politics is funny," Gori said. "It's a lot to do with hope and perception."
The Family Coalition Party policies are predominately Christian-based - it is pro-life and against same-sex marriage - and, as a political party, represents a minority but not an insignificant number of voters.
One of the purposes of the new system is to give a voice to such parties, regardless of their views. It would also allow political parties to elect more women and minority MPPs, fulfilling another goal: to have the legislature better reflect provincial demographics.
source.
Of course Tory won't support it: he has a lot to lose.
I find it quaint that the government is proposing this system, but not really pushing it. What kind of policy-making is that? The Liberals risk to lose the most. They do not have an incentive to promote this. Sure, they fulfilled their campaign promise, but it sounds like this system is designed so that it does not pass.
Those of you who support proportional representation, I suggest you get more information out on this.
_________________________
Visit Opinions Canada
a political blogs aggregator
_________________________
