Canada Considering Proportional Representation

[Tom Sawyer]

For those of you who followed last year's Canadian election (which I assume is all of you, since there's nothing more thrilling and engaging than watching a group of middle-aged white men politely apologizing to each other), you'll recall that one of Prime Minister McDreamy's campaign platforms was to replace the current first-past-the-post system with something less stupid.

It looks like they're recommending that we adopt some form of proportional representation.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3100043/proportional-representation-canada-explained/

I like this idea, particularly the mixed one. It allows people to vote for what they feel would be the best option, as opposed to what they feel would be the least bad one in order to block against something worse. It also helps ensure smaller majorities, so that more deal making amongst the parties is required as opposed to one side basically being shut out of the decision making for a few years.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Naw, you should switch to the US system of partisan redistricting, choking off chances that the other party can win seats.

Otherwise, I'd go with:
Vote 1) Party
Vote 2) Representative (choose up to x people).

Maybe set up provinces where people actually live in to large districts (to keep people from voting for 32 people).

 

[Nice Squirrel]

How many electoral votes does Nunavut get?

Nunavthem!!!!

 

[RavenSky]

Prime Minister McDreamy That he is.

I see how the proportional representation would be excellent for the general congress, but how would it work for offices where there is only one seat - such as Prime Minister or President

 

[rousseau]

Ok let's change things up, but screw a referendum. If the past few months have taught us anything it's that the general public shouldn't be making these decisions.

 

[laughing dog]

Prime Minister McDreamy That he is.

I see how the proportional representation would be excellent for the general congress, but how would it work for offices where there is only one seat - such as Prime Minister or President

Well, the Prime Minister is usually chosen by the party with a majority in Parliament - so he or she is not directly elected.

 

[lpetrich]

Looks like they are considering two systems:

• Pure party-list
• Mixed-member

In a pure party-list system, one votes for a party. This system gets its name from parties typically publishing lists of candidates that they want seated.

In a mixed-member system, one votes for a district candidate and for a party. The districts' members get some of the seats, the district seats. The remaining seats, the list seats, go to party members so that the overall party composition will be proportional.

 Table of voting systems by country shows which nations use what.

While pure party-list PR is common, mixed-member PR is less common, with Bolivia, Germany, Lesotho, and New Zealand using it.