« 22 Exotic Japanese Ice Cream Flavors |
Main
| We don't play in your ashtray or spoon, so please don't smoke or shoot up in our sandbox. »
It's the System Stupid!
Posted on July 14, 2004
It probably would come as no surprise that I voted for the Victoria Green Party candidate Ariel Lade. The Greens failed to will a single seat in Ottawa, but because of changes under the Elections Finances Act, parties that are able to get 2% of the popular vote will receive $1.75 per vote in federal funding. Even though I knew it would be a close call for the Greens to simply win one seat in parliament I didn't feel my vote was going to be for nothing and that I had to vote for the "lesser of two evils."
The Green Party received some 580,000 votes, an increase of 458% since the 2000 federal election resulting in more than a million dollars in public funds each year. Now you can see why Jim Harris released a "Victory Speech" without winning a single seat. In his speech Harris thanked supporters and criticized the current electoral system. Below are a few quotes which really resonated with me.
"Imagine five parties running in every riding and they each get 20% of the vote. But one party gets one more vote in all 308 ridings it would have 100% of
the seats in Ottawa with the same percentage of popular vote. Would you call that democratic? And the other four parties with 80% of the vote would not have a single seat. Would you call that democratic?
How our system works is the problem. Up until this election you first identified party you most despised and then worked to figure out who has the best chance of beating them. If you vote for the bad to keep out the worse - a if you vote strategically - a if you vote for the lesser of three evils - a you will always be left with bad government. "
"Until we change the system we will always get what we have always got. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The problem is with the electoral system. Fair Vote Canada knows that. The Law Commission of Canada knows that.
It is the system that is the problem. Until we change the system we cannot expect any better." -Jim Harris
How our system works is the problem. Up until this election you first identified party you most despised and then worked to figure out who has the best chance of beating them. If you vote for the bad to keep out the worse - a if you vote strategically - a if you vote for the lesser of three evils - a you will always be left with bad government. "
"Until we change the system we will always get what we have always got. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The problem is with the electoral system. Fair Vote Canada knows that. The Law Commission of Canada knows that.
It is the system that is the problem. Until we change the system we cannot expect any better." -Jim Harris
Leave a comment.
