The conservative party only got 37% of the votes, but they have about half the seats in parliament, and control of the government. Bloc Quecbois got 10% of the vote and 48 seats, but the Green party got NO SEATS even though they received 7% of the votes. This sucks! The parties we vote for have no seats! To truly make every vote count, seats in parliament should represent the ratio of votes made by the people. In this system, people are torn: do they elect the person who will vote for the person they wnt to be prime minister, or do they vote for the person they want to represent their area in government, or do they vote to try and swing the vote in their riding away from someone they don't like? What if one canidate would truly represent the riding, but is under the party leader you don't want at all costs as prime minister?
I think that parliament should be split into two things: a group of people that represent the election for prime minister, and people that represent local ridings. We have a senate hanging around that no one really seems to know much about. I think they are appointed. How about we elect our MPs to represent our area, and elect the senate to pick who gets to be PM? The MPs can be liasions between municipal, provincial and federal governments, looking out for the people in their riding. The senate, should also be from across the country, will work side by side with the MPs to ensure that all areas are represented, but will be formed according to the ratio of votes each party gets.
We would probably be able to get more idenpendant canidates in parliament, all parties with a significant percentage of the vote would be in government, and things might be better.
Overall, Canada is a great place, still it's nice to work towards improving things.
I think that parliament should be split into two things: a group of people that represent the election for prime minister, and people that represent local ridings. We have a senate hanging around that no one really seems to know much about. I think they are appointed. How about we elect our MPs to represent our area, and elect the senate to pick who gets to be PM? The MPs can be liasions between municipal, provincial and federal governments, looking out for the people in their riding. The senate, should also be from across the country, will work side by side with the MPs to ensure that all areas are represented, but will be formed according to the ratio of votes each party gets.
We would probably be able to get more idenpendant canidates in parliament, all parties with a significant percentage of the vote would be in government, and things might be better.
Overall, Canada is a great place, still it's nice to work towards improving things.
Our government is supposed to be made of 100% people who represent their ridings. That's how our system is supposed to work. Also - a lot of the stuff you mention is supposed to be status quo.
The MPs can be liasions between municipal, provincial and federal governments, looking out for the people in their riding - this for instance - actually is still status quo amongst respectable MPs. (Jay Hill for instance does this - from experience. He's the only MP I ever talked to about it though)
We to a large extend do need voter reform : proportional voting perhaps. The last referendum failed though.
Senate probably should be an elected post though. That system was meant to model the House of Lords as I understand it - and it's never really worked effectively.
*frustrated sigh*
also: this country could do with electoral boundary reforms, especially in moving representation OUT of Ontario.
s, but had I voted for them, my vote wouldn't have "counted". I know, it's a catch 22 for them--they need votes to get a seat, but people won't vote for them until they get a seat.