What do Canadians want?
The following presentation was delivered by Frank Graves to the Special Committee on Electoral Reform on October 20, 2016.
Please click here for a PDF copy of this presentation.
Veuillez cliquer ici pour la version française.
A video of this presentation (as well as the Q&A period) can be found here.
Please click here for a copy of the questionnaire used to conduct this survey.
Please click here for the data tables for this survey.
It’s too bad the Canadian public that has put so little imagination and thought into this, because we have a once in a generation opportunity to open our minds to possibilities and potentially re-design how things work.
Here are some questions that might make people think a bit more:
– Would you rather your preferred party alternate between full power and no power over time … or would you rather it ALWAYS have partial power? Under which situation would you be more likely to show up and vote?
– Would you rather see a party with full power (metaphorically) walk five steps in one direction and risk being followed by another party that walks five steps in the opposite direction … or would you rather multiple parties work together to walk three steps in a direction they can all live with?
– Do you think in a more proportional set-up, with little to no chance of a majority, parties would continue to behave badly as they have in recent minority Parliaments … or would they give up on the hope of a majority and eventually work together and compromise more?
– Despite the bad behaviours, do you know what know what minority Parliaments have achieved in Canada federally?
If you are liberal-minded look at Pearson’s minority in 1965-68:
Medicare
Canada Pension Plan
Canada Student Loans
The Maple Leaf Flag
Modern labour legislation (min. wage, 40-hour work week, etc.)
Balanced budgets
The Royal Commission on the Status of Women
The Royal Commission on Bilingualism
The first race-free immigration policy in the world
If you lean conservative, think about Harper’s minority 2006-08:
The Accountability Act
Quebec as a Nation resolution
Tax Reform
Head Tax apology
A policy consensus on Afghanistan
Child care
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