When Trudeau reneged on his solemn promise that Canadians would never have to put up with another first-past-the-post election, another false majority government, he covered his ass with the story that there had been no consensus for change either in committee or among the public.
That seemed to be an implausibly thin excuse given that Trudeau had done nothing to increase public awareness of electoral reform, why we needed it and the competing options.
Now that implausibly thin excuse turns out to have been just another of Justin's tall tales. He switched course because he feared proportional rep might lead to admission of "extremist voices in the House."
The Liberal cabinet is said to have been overwhelmingly opposed to proportional representation, which aims to allot seats in the legislature in proportion to the national popular vote. Ministers, the source says, believed Canada was better served with broader "big tent" parties.
The source added the ministers were concerned that proportional representation could open the door to smaller regional or fringe parties in the House of Commons, including the alt-right, a loosely defined political movement that includes white nationalists and white supremacists.
The spectre of such a party holding the balance of power in Parliament is said to have been raised.
Oh yeah, and they feared that Canadians can't be trusted to go through a referendum without tearing the country all apart.
The Liberals had not previously ruled out the possibility, but during an appearance in July before the special committee on electoral reform, Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef said referendums "can and have often led to deep divisions within Canadian and other societies, divisions which have not been easily healed."
So, you see, they're only doing it - reneging on their promise, even all the cover up lying - not for their benefit but for ours. It's for our own good. We can't be trusted with such things. We'd ruin the furniture and God knows who we might let in the door. We shouldn't be troubling our pretty minds with that stuff. Leave it to the folks in the big pants.
Condescending assholes.
Condescending indeed. But I've never understood the need for a referendum on the issue. The Libs ran on a promise to change the FPTP system and voters gave them a majority. What else does Trudeau need?
ReplyDeleteIf 39% of the popular vote is enough for the Libs to form the current government, I don't know why the standard on changing the electoral system should be something impossible like consensus. As the British Supreme Court ruled recently, referendums like the one held there on Brexit aren't binding. In a Westminster system like ours, Parliament is supreme and must make the tough decisions.
Trudeau is said to favour PR. If so, put it to a vote in Parliament then get on with it.
Cap
"The source added the ministers were concerned that proportional representation could open the door to smaller regional or fringe parties in the House of Commons, including the alt-right, a loosely defined political movement that includes white nationalists and white supremacists."
ReplyDeleteThis reason has to be the stupidest and most obnoxious reaso of all for the Dauphin to kibosh the endeavour.
He has at last been unmasked for what he is - an undemocratic neo-liberal tool of the old political class, something that he said he wasn't during the campaign. The people have noticed and now has the worst possible label ("Just the same as the others; all politicians lie") a politician can have wrapped around his neck.
Does anyone remember The Natural Law Party? Doug Henning? They actually got people to vote for them. Canadians are not so much smarter than the citizens of other countries. Each system has its strengths and weeknesses. First past the post does have the advantage of weeding out the tiny minority nutbars.
ReplyDeleteLieberals... Con-servative.... no difference turn them upside down and they look like sisters.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Baby face Justin wanted the ranked ballot or alternative vote, that by some peoples estimation, would have kept the Lieberals in power forever as being everyone's second choice. These assholes are still tying to game the system.
I mostly agree with Anonymous's comment above. As long as the particular changes to the proposed election procedures are constitutional, the government should just decide to pass them. It would be a law like any other, and could be undone like any other. Referendums are cop-outs and evasions of parliamentary responsibility. If the government believes its prefered policy is good, own the issue.
ReplyDeleteThe committee on electoral reform should have been tasked with developing this law, and supported and monitored by the Government, especially the goofball Maryam Monsef. She wrecked the entire process by her incompetent oversight. Trudeau was asleep, and he and his entire cabinet failed on this file.
He could not recover anything from this disastrous start. So I can't blame Trudeau for killing the idea at this point. But these excuses they feel compelled to give are nauseating.