Media.Knet.Ca

On Election Day - Oct 10, EVERYONE will be asked to vote on whether YOU want to switch to a new system of electing our Members of the Ontario Legislature called "Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system" from our current "First Past the Post" system. Make an informed decision ... check out the following web sites to learn more about YOUR choice!!

Click here to check out the Referendum Ontario web site at http://www.yourbigdecision.ca/en_ca/default.aspx

From the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform at http://www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca/en/default.asp

“We, the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, recommend a new way to vote that builds on the province’s traditions and reflects the values that we believe are important to Ontarians.

The Assembly recommends that Ontario adopt a Mixed Member Proportional system, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of Ontario.”

From the Vote for Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) web site - http://www.voteformmp.ca/

• More Choice - One Ballot, Two Votes
• The new system will be simple and sensible.
• You will still vote for your preferred local candidate just as you do now. In addition, you will also cast a vote for your preferred political party. The share of these votes that each party wins will determine its overall share of seats in the legislature.
• The provincial legislature will have 90 riding MPPs and 39 at-large MPPs.
  If after the 90 riding seats are filled, a party has fewer seats than its portion of the party vote, that party wins some of the additional 39 provincial (or at-large) seats to ensure it has its fair share of the total seats. These at-large representatives are elected from provincial lists of candidates nominated by each party in advance of the election. Voters can judge these at-large candidates, as well as local candidates, and vote accordingly.
• Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) will give Ontario voters the best of both worlds. You get strong local representation PLUS fair results, with parties gaining no more, and no fewer seats than they really deserve.
• Here's an election example: Party X gets 30 per cent of the party votes, but when riding results are tallied, they have a share of seats that is 10 short of the 30 per cent of the seats they deserve. In that case, Party X will also gain 10 at-large seats, with their top ten at-large candidates winning those seats.
• Another MMP benefit is fairer results.
• Another MMP benefit is stronger representation.

How will list candidates be selected and why?

The Citizens' Assembly decided that it should be left up to each party to decide how to create its list. However, in what I think is a unique feature, they are recommending that each party, in addition to reporting its list of candidates to Elections Ontario before the close of nominations, must also report on the process they used to create their list, AND they must explain why their process is fair and democratic.

Liberal for MMP http://liberals4mmp.blogspot.com/ propose five principles for a list selection process:

1. That the party undertake the most democratic and transparent process possible to select its province-wide list, convening regional party conventions and/or primaries to choose nominees.
2. At least 20 out of 39 province-wide candidates should be women.
3. The list must have regional balance, alternating between Ontario's regions accordingly, starting with a nominee from Northern Ontario. The party must ensure that there is balance between rural and urban nominees on the list.
4. The party will ensure that Ontario's diversity be well-reflected, with members of minorities historically excluded from the Ontario legislature well-represented.
5. All Liberal list members will open local constituency offices in the regions they were elected to represent.

10 MMP Myth-busters! - http://www.voteformmp.ca/node/343

Prominent Folks who Endorse MMP - http://voteformmp.ca/full_list

From the NO MMP web site at http://nommp.ca/, Objections:

• To achieve the single goal of proportionality, the proposed MMP system shifts power from the local voter in ridings across Ontario to the power brokers at Queen's Park.
• 17 fewer local ridings, covering more territory, with less contact with your local representative
• 39 politicians chosen by other politicians ... not you
• Closed door party deal-making for weeks after elections, to decide who governs the province
• Tax dollars paying for 22 more politicians and their staff at Queen's Park
• A confusing ballot and vote-counting system
• A weaker, indecisive Ontario
• Fringe parties holding the balance ofb power with 2 or 3 seats

A comment on Northern and Rural Representation under MMP

I wish to comment on northern and rural representation under MMP. Some columnists argue that MMP would be bad for northern and rural representation. They base that on the fact that under MMP, rural and northern ridings, like all other regions, would be represented by fewer local ridings. Their other point is that since rural and northern representation is already shrinking due to a lower representation, it would get worse under MMP.

These are valid points. However, two key points must be said about it. First, decreased representation would happen both with MMP and First-Past-the-Post. The other thing to remember is that under MMP, 'list' members represent the whole province, including rural and northern areas. Right now, there is no incentive for an MPP not elected in a rural or northern area to care about Northern or rural issues. That would change under MMP for list members, and that is a good thing. Also, right now under First-Past-the-Post, some parties tend to predominate in certain regions, such as the Conservaties in rural areas. Because of this, there is little incentive for the Liberals for instance to care as much about rural issues. Under MMP, there is an incentive to care about all regions since all votes are equal, no matter where they're from.

So fundamentally the appeal of MMP is about more than fairness or votes of equal weight, it's about getting all parties to care about the interests of all Ontarians. The side effect is that parties under MMP are more likely to appreciate the positions of other parties. They are more likely to cooperate and work for the common good, rather than for the narrow interest of specific constituencies.

That said, we'd still have under MMP, our local MPP who would represent us and care about our local concerns.

You're onto it!! - Submitted by Steve Withers on Sun, 05/08/2007 - 11:49pm.

You've hit the nail on the head. Yes, the list MPPs will represent their supporters all over Ontario, partly because that is who elected them, but also because under MMP, every party vote counts....no matter where it was cast....provided the party concrned gets more than 3% of the total party vote.

It's a real shame Elections Ontario are too timid to tell the truth about what list MPPs will do.

Toronto Star coverage of the MMP referendum at http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/254842