Poor Losers Want To Rewrite The Rule Book

Voting against new election rules
By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD

Ever since the last election, Premier Dalton McGuinty’s pledge to bring about “democratic renewal,” has been something of a solution to no apparent problem.

One of the great myths politicians like to perpetuate is that the cynicism and disaffection vast numbers of potential voters have about elections is due to the system being broken.

What they don’t acknowledge is that what turns off voters in droves are the politicians themselves. When you get elected on a platform and then break key promises — surprise — voters become disillusioned.

If a party leader promises not to raise taxes and then gets elected and hikes taxes, voters think their ballots don’t count.

In any event, despite no great clamour for a new electoral system, McGuinty’s government has pushed ahead with its “democratic renewal,” project.

Since last September, a so-called “citizens’ assembly,” made up of one representative from each of the province’s 103 ridings, has been meeting on weekends — 18 weekends at $150 per person per day. The assembly is comprised of 52 women and 51 men. One of those representatives is aboriginal. The assembly must report to the Legislature by May 15.

If they recommend changes to the so-called “first past the post” system we now have, their plan will be put to a referendum in the Oct. 10 election. There are several proposals on the table. At worst they’re bizarre, at best, cumbersome.

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