Canadian Election: It's On

[notyoueither]

And I was arguing at a page break.

As for ruling 80% of the time, they rule with no check. If the people approve of them so highly, perhaps they could be trusted to be given majorities in two houses 80% of the time.

[notyoueither]

Your actual points re the senate and being elected could be discussed.

Item 3 would be a given.

Item 2 not, but compromise from EEE people could be arrived at.

Item 1 is problematic. The idea of a second house is to balance the tyranny of the majority. Some minimum representation per region is required.

[notyoueither]

Actually, item 3 needs work, too.

[KrazyHorse]

I'm fundamentally opposed to giving some Canadians an institutional guarantee of more representation due simply to where they choose to live.

If I could I'd even get rid of the grandfathering clause that gives PEI 4(!) MPs with a pop. of 130 000

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by cinch
Is this 'undemocratic'? No, I don't think so. 'One person, one vote' should not be able to override minority rights, I feel. The American Senate protects (or attempts to protect) small states from being totally massacred by the superstates... Canada needs to attempt a similar body.

Of course, this may just be my stereotypical Albertanness taking over.

The long memories of Albertans and British Columbians will be the best friends the Maritimes ever had, in the end.

[KrazyHorse]

Alberta, BC, Quebec and Ontario are already screwed over on their representation in Commons. There's no reason to throw even more seats at the other 6.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I'm fundamentally opposed to giving some Canadians an institutional guarantee of more representation due simply to where they choose to live.

If I could I'd even get rid of the grandfathering clause that gives PEI 4(!) MPs with a pop. of 130 000

Are we not 10 provinces?

Or are we simply the 2 monsters and 8 catspaws?

[KrazyHorse]

Alberta and BC aren't far behind Quebec now.

Why is it that 100 000 people living in my riding of Lac Saint Louis are worth less than 100 000 people living in PEI (so much so that those 100 000 people get 3 seats, whereas my 100 000 neighbours only get one seat).

Provincial lines are artificial. There's no reason a person living just west of the Manitoba/Ontario border should carry so much more political weight than someone living just east of it.

[KrazyHorse]

In other words, it's not my fault that I live in a big province. Why does living in a small one make Manitobans worth more?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Alberta, BC, Quebec and Ontario are already screwed over on their representation in Commons. There's no reason to throw even more seats at the other 6.

I doubt you have the faintest idea of what I am talking about. Afterall, you have never been where it is to be a little guy and to feel shut out.

Trust me, Quebec and Ontario wish they could tempt Alberta and BC into the fraternity of the abusers, so that we turn our backs on our cousins in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Maritimes.

Times will change. This nation will change. Central Canada be damned!

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Alberta and BC aren't far behind Quebec now.

Damned unfortunate fact that is, isn;t it?

[KrazyHorse]

You seem frisky tonight. I'm telling you that what you propose is simply going to throw a huge amount of political power at a small fraction of our population.

In a one province one vote system the majority of representatives would come from areas totalling something like 15% of our population. That's ridiculous.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
In other words, it's not my fault that I live in a big province. Why does living in a small one make Manitobans worth more?

No. Not your fault at all. However, you really need to be from one of the hinterlands to really know what we are blathering about. Either that, or have an imagination and excercise it.

[KrazyHorse]

I love how the West groups in Quebec with Ontario, as though the two had some sort of fundamental agreement as to how Canada should be run

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither


No. Not your fault at all. However, you really need to be from one of the hinterlands to really know what we are blathering about. Either that, or have an imagination and excercise it.

I doubt you have as much experience being a persecuted minority in a political system as I do.