42.2% is a Majority Under FPTP

These totals are why MMP supporters can claim that their position has been further justified. With 42.1% of the vote the Liberals will completely control the provincial parliament by themselves. Under MMP they would need NDP or PC support. (Image From CBC.CA)

Claim: Poor Education Campaign led to “Unmitigated Disaster”

The Globe and Mail states that MMP proponents say Ontario’s referendum on electoral reform was an “unmitigated disaster” plagued by voter and media apathy, a poor education campaign, and an impossible threshold for passage.
Dennis Pilon, assistant professor of political science at University of Victoria and author of The Politics of Voting: Reforming Canada’s Electoral System named the referendum as a waste of money because the education campaign focused on how the referendum would work, not what was being considered:

“Selling a voting system is like selling a car. Most of us don’t look up under the hood. We recognize that there are professionals who will take care of that. What we want to know is performance.”

Is this true, or just sour grapes?

MMP Defeated

A Toronto Star article posted at 11:53 PM October 10th reports that MMP has been rejected by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.

Debates On TV

Roger’s Local Cable is boardcasting the tape of “The Great Referendum Debate: Toronto Edition” organized by The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University which was held September 28, 2007 at the MaRS Complex in downtown Toronto. See this post for my coverage of the event.
For MMP were:

• Andrew Coyne – National Post political affairs columnist
• Marilyn Churley – former NDP provincial cabinet minister, nominated NDP for next federal election

Against MMP were:

• Christina Blizzard – Toronto Sun Queen’s Park columnist
• Charles Harnick – former PC provincial cabinet minister

The debate in on Cable 10/63 in Toronto 1:30 -3:30.

CPAC’s Public Record program has an archive of their broadcast video available.

Rogers is also broadcasting the Churchill Society debate between Ed Broadbent, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada on the pro-MMP side versus Charles Harnick, former attorney general of Ontario on the pro-FPTP side.

Broadcast times are Sunday at 2:30 AM, 3:30 PM, and Monday at 12:00 AM, 4:30 AM.

Globe and Mail Rejects MMP and Citizens’ Assembly

The Globe and Mail calls the referendum a missed opportunity arguing the timing of the referendum and major flaws in the new model of government being proposed make it impossible to endorse.

The first concern is that by being scheduled together with the provincial election too little attention was paid to the referendum leading to an uninformed public potentially reshaping the entire system of government. Secondly the editorial raises questions with MMP’s allocation of list seats and the selection of the candidates. It suggests raising the minimum percent of the vote to win list seats to 5%, creating a clear-cut nomination system by which parties pick their list nominees and assigning the seats on the basis of the direct proportion to the popular vote, independent of how many ridings each party won.

Finally the editorial urges rejection of MMP and bringing in experts to do the job of designing an alternative to FPTP

All of these are shortcomings that could easily be overcome. Rather than abandon electoral reform altogether if Ontarians correctly reject the current proposal, Ontario’s next government should take a more serious stab at it. Instead of the populist pandering of “citizens’ assemblies,” a smaller panel of experts should be tasked with designing a more workable MMP model. The matter should then be put to voters between elections, ensuring that the referendum receives the attention it deserves.
As for what is currently on the table, sadly, the proportionate response is to reject it.

Debate Tonight At University of Toronto

The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy is holding a debate 7pm today (October 2) at Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto 2 Sussex Avenue (NW corner of St. George & Sussex, one block south of Bloor).

Speakers are Ed Broadbent, former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada on the pro-MMP side versus Charles Harnick, former attorney general of Ontario on the pro-FPTP side

Update: October 3, 2007

The Toronto Star has a report on the debate which was attended by about 60 people. Charles Harnick, a former P.C. cabinet member stated that the NDP would repeatedly hold the balance of power under MMP.

Both Harnick and Broadbent agreed that there would be more coalition governments under MMP and that the government made a mistake by piggybacking the MMP referendum on the provincial election which is drawing the media attention.

Is Harnick right? Are Liberals or Conservatives for MMP killing their parties’ chances of ever being in government without depending on the NDP for support?

The Great Debate: Toronto Edition – Part 1

The Great Referendum Debate: Toronto Edition organized by The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University was held yesterday, September 28, 2007 at the MaRS Complex in downtown Toronto.
For MMP were:

• Andrew Coyne – National Post political affairs columnist
• Marilyn Churley – former NDP provincial cabinet minister, nominated NDP for next federal election

Against MMP were:

• Christina Blizzard – Toronto Sun Queen’s Park columnist
• Charles Harnick – former PC provincial cabinet minister

Moderated by Tom Axworthy with introductory remarks by George Thomson, Chair of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly.

The proceedings were taped by CPAC for later broadcast. Check local listings…

George Thomson initially spoke on the selection of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly and the depth of study of the various alternative systems they looked at. He agreed with a common theme throughout the evening, too few people knew about the referendum or about MMP. He specifically criticized the rules that Elections Ontario’s education campaign was operating under – informing people that the referendum was occurring but not the pros and cons of MMP.

Following Thomson the moderator gave each speaker ten minutes to speak. This post gives my take on their positions. Part 2 will cover their answers to the moderator’s questions and questions from the floor.

National Post Takes Readers’ Questions

Electoral reform expert Peter MacLeod, a fellow at the Queen’s University Centre for the Study of Democracy and principal of public systems design studio The Planning Desk answers the first set of reader questions as part of the National Post’s MMP coverage.

Debates and Panels in Toronto Next Week

Liberals For MMP have word of three events on MMP in Toronto next week:

• Thursday, September 27, 2007 – A panel on MMP at York University in Toronto entitled ‘Change The System: A panel on MMP’  – 1-3pm The Tribute Communities Recital Hall, 112 Accolade East
• Thursday, September 27, 2007 – A panel on MMP at University of Toronto sponsored by the University of Toronto Student Union for MMP (via a comment to the posting) – Note: I’m unable to find more details on this.  There is a UofT event on October 3rd. Maybe this event was rescheduled.
• Friday September 28, 2007 – A debate at the MaRS Complex at 101 College Street in Toronto  at 7pm sponsored by The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University

Update:

More debates and panels:

• October 3, 2007 – 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Deciding How Ontario MPPs are Elected: What Will You Do? A Roundtable On Electoral Reform
   University of Toronto St. George Campus, Canadiana Building, 14 Queen’s Park Crescent West, 1st floor
  Join a roundtable discussion of these and other issues with:
  - Professor Emeritus Peter Hogg, Scholar-in-residence, Blake Cassels and Graydon LLP
  - Senator Hugh Segal, Parliament of Canada
  - Professor Andrew Stark, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, U of T
  - Professor Melissa Williams, Director, Centre for Ethics, U of T
• October 4, 2007 – School of Policy Studies, Room 202, Queen’s University Thursday October 4, 12:00 – 1:15 pm sponsored by The Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen’s University

More details to come..

Globe and Mail Backgrounder and Request For Debate Questions

The Globe and Mail has started a weekly series on the referendum. Part 1 provides background and asks for readers to send in questions for experts from the two sides to answer on September 20th.