this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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Ontario

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Ontario needs proportional representation! (lemmy.ca)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The only viable long term solution is proportional representation (PR). Some electoral systems meeting this criteria:

Canada needs to stop believing that PR requires a referendum. The only people pushing a referendum are those with ulterior motives or are misinformed.

  1. There is no constitutional requirement. For example, in 1924 Alberta substantially changed their electoral system, adopting some PR elements.
  2. In 2005, BC held a referendum with 57.69% in favour of a PR electoral system known as Single Transferable Vote (STV). No change whatsoever occurred.
  3. The electoral system has been modified many times without a referendum. For example, per-vote subsidies were removed by Conservatives in 2011 no less, which sparked the famous prorogation of parliament.
  4. Why would we need a referendum to restore the fundamental rights of voters? The right to vote must necessarily include the right for the vote to have an effect. Literally millions of perfectly valid ballots are simply tossed out every single election. This would be an outrage had we not been conditioned to accept it.
[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Its always the powerful rich few pushing for referendums so they can fear monger against a fairer electoral system to doom it. We deserve proportional representation without a referendum as most countries that got pr through multiparty support.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'd agree with referendums, if they were widely used in other issues. Like, what would the referendum on the Greenbelt look like? What about Ontario Place? What about the sneaking privatization of our public healthcare systems? What about Doug Ford himself?

Referendums for electoral reform are really just a way for the government/establishment to look like they are fulfilling a campaign promise, without actually improving the system. It's worse than virtue signalling, cause after a (failed) referendum, it harms the PR movement. Even though it can be demonstrated that PR is mathematically superior to FPP...

And also, why do we pay our representatives in the first place? It's their job to understand the policies and issues such as proportional representation, then act in the best interests of their constituents. Obviously, ensuring every vote counts, and no group holds disproportionate power is something that improves our democratic institutions, and improving democratic institutions benefits constituents.

Anyway, that's why I keep pushing. PR proponents are holding the torch until that fateful day comes where PR is enacted.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I'm speaking from the british columbian perspective here:

True referendums can also be a set back as most people will claim "why bring up this issue when we just had a referendum". But its been 6 years from the 2018 one in BC and in the past there was a referendum on pr 4 years after the 2005 one.

The NDP and Conservatives must be forced to work with the Greens to pass Proportional representation without a referendum or else the general strike must be held until they stop both stop acting so blatantly corrupt.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

Somebody needs to just enact PR. I think with the most recent BC election, there's no reason Greens shouldn't attempt to force PR. The Greens should be aggressive and use their balance of power, otherwise they might face extinction under Duverger's law.

I've also thought it might be a good idea if parties work together, not to split the vote. So for BC, Greens could get the island (and not run candidates in the mainland), while NDP for mainland (and not run candidates on the Island). They are more alike than they are different.

I like the general strike idea, but it needs to be coordinated. We've been too conditioned to accept our broken FPP system.

I've also been thinking about PR for civil society for example with the Council of Canadians.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

What's the health care crisis?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

that it's in crisis. Took my GF to emergency last night in Newmarket to Southlake. It was standing room only. The system is overwhelmed.

Where I will not blame the government, these hospitals are not large enough for the increase in people living in the area.

Where I will blame the government, they staff their hospitals like absolute shit and the staff they have they're nickle and diming.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

There aren't enough healthcare workers to meet the demand. Around 15% of Ontarians do not have a family doctor and use emergency rooms for their primary care. Emergency room wait times have become excessive with some hospitals reporting 20 hour wait times. Around 48% of nurses have reported they are considering switching careers, mostly citing excessive work hours and little pay to show for it. Ontario is the most populated province but spends the least on healthcare per capita.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Tried to find a new doctor lately or have a medical emergency? Good luck.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Is there a big backlog? I don't live in Ontario, just trying to learn about it

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If you don't have a family doctor today you are going to wait months if not years to get one if you are in a busy area.

Hospitals are way understaffed, if you come in with a non-life threatening emergency (broken arm) you can expect to wait anywhere from 4 to 12 hours depending on how busy it is.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

If you don’t have a family doctor today you are going to wait months if not years to get one if you are in a busy area.

If you live in a non-busy area, expect to wait years, if not decades. I live in a smaller city in southern Ontario, and our wait list is getting longer every year. I've not had a doctor since 2018.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

He is…he thinks he’s premier of Toronto

You can see the map https://nationalpost.com/news/ontario-election/live-ontario-election-results-map

He wins in urban areas

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He wins in urban areas

He wins in suburban areas, as do all conservatives: above a certain density across the country if not the entire world, urban spaces reject conservatism. That map you linked to pretty much tells that story.

Where do you think all the "urban elites want to make you gay, take away your pickup truck and make you drink plant-based beer" comments come from?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Where do you think all the “urban elites want to make you gay, take away your pickup truck and make you drink plant-based beer” comments come from?

Rural orange

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

The North goes orange, and even they’re wobbling a little.

The rural and suburban ridings are reliably, depressingly, blue.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

He is…he thinks he’s premier of Toronto

For anyone with an open mind. Ask yourself. Why is the Premier of Ontario making a priority to ensure municipalities are ensuring bike lanes aren't impacting drivers? Of all the issues that are larger or more pressing (healthcare, education) he is prioritizing bike lanes.

Like seriously WTF.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

What's the call to action here? When I see content like this I think it's not enough to just say. "Fist past the post bad ranked voting good." Many of us agree already. Tell us what to do about it.

At very least toss us a website, but there's better we can do.

You need us to email someone? Who? What am I saying to them?

Need us to go somewhere? tell us when, where and what to bring

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Hold a general strike to force the pc mpps to pass pr stv/mmp with the other parties without a referendum.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

That won't be happening for a while yet, if it ever does. Things have to get really, really bad before the average person will agree that a justified conflict is better for them than an unjust peace. We're not at that point yet—most people in Canada are still mostly squeaking by (although the current economic situation isn't really sustainable), and a given citizen's chances of dying by random violence are still pretty low. Maybe 5-10 years from now, if wages don't rise enough to ease the strain on food banks and other charities, we might see a general strike.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

Though it's certainly effective. Unless somone very influential happens to be on lemmy looking at comments on memes I don't think that idea is going to get to them.

What I've seen is letter writing campaigns. The idea of getting a large volume of people tonwrite their MPs all at once makes it harder for them to just ignore everyone. Somone whould provide a template with not only the nature of our request but things the mp can actually do to advance the idea. They sometimes actually want to help but don't know how. This is why you need somone with some degree of knowledge to write the template.

A flyer/poster campaign can help as well. This is good for raising general awareness. Though its more effective if done during a specific time prior to an action like the letter writing campaign or a protest march. Even those who can't partake in the event can then at least promote it. Though I suggest providing guidelines around ethical flyer distribution. The advantage is that you can get your message to places like libraries and community centers where more civic minded people will see it.

Also there is protests, marches ect. But there are so many of those happening that I feel they often get ignored. The logistics are a pain, amd if not done right they can go bad.

Also is there a place organizing these things? Do they need donations or volunteers?

So with that in mind if anything like that is happening, link your memes to it in some way. It will turn a complaint into action.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

Maybe a link to some 3d-printable guillotines, am I right