Over the past few days many people have stood up with regards to the referendum debate and have basically said that we should vote for this system. Well to me personally I say no. We have only one pledge from a party leader so far that he will allow a party convention to choose the list of Candidates that they will run and that is Howard Hampton. I am assuming that John Tory who recently declared in a story in one of the major papers that he had the same concerns that I had regarding this system.
The truth is the MMP-system is a flawed voting system, it rewards the Leaders and Party Hacks of every party and it allows them to continue to force things to go their way or the highway. And even if this passes what is not to say that the major parties will not follow the Hampton Precedent? As much as I dislike the FPTP system, I feel that MMP is inadequate. I feel that personally we should have Instant-Runoff Voting. It works in Australia and I do personally feel that people need to achieve 50% to win, I feel it's only fair that way.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
My Thoughts on the By-elections
Let's be honest folks this was a clusterfuck of enormous proportions, this by-election never should have been lost but really I think it had to do with the following.
1. Stephane Dion's candidate, Jocelyn Coulon was badly hurt by perceived anti-semetic writings. It was a really bad decision to put a candidate who had controversy with the Jewish Community up for election.
2. Jack Layton had the best candidate he could get to run for him in that riding and rightfully so, because I would bet you my life savings that if Mulcair did not run, The Liberals would have had this riding. I am almost certain they would have.
3. Is this an indictment of Stephane Dion's leadership? Yes and no, Obviously Dion made a terrible decision by putting up a Candidate like Coulon. However, I again do believe that had Mulcair not been the NDP Candidate, he would not have won. That being said, I think that Dion took the high road and even saw a silver lining in this, as much as I hate having another conservative elected, I would take a federalist over a sovereignist any day.
Stephane Dion is that rare person who has unbridled optimism despite what people say about him. So while this was a terrible terrible error, I am sure that Dion can rebound from this. However, I am really hoping the Liberals do not want to go into an election right now. It would be a huge mistake, We need to see the Conservatives make a big mistake and so far they aren't. However, I personally feel that Harper is not going to make a move until after October 10, that's after the Ontario Provincial Election, BTW.
1. Stephane Dion's candidate, Jocelyn Coulon was badly hurt by perceived anti-semetic writings. It was a really bad decision to put a candidate who had controversy with the Jewish Community up for election.
2. Jack Layton had the best candidate he could get to run for him in that riding and rightfully so, because I would bet you my life savings that if Mulcair did not run, The Liberals would have had this riding. I am almost certain they would have.
3. Is this an indictment of Stephane Dion's leadership? Yes and no, Obviously Dion made a terrible decision by putting up a Candidate like Coulon. However, I again do believe that had Mulcair not been the NDP Candidate, he would not have won. That being said, I think that Dion took the high road and even saw a silver lining in this, as much as I hate having another conservative elected, I would take a federalist over a sovereignist any day.
Stephane Dion is that rare person who has unbridled optimism despite what people say about him. So while this was a terrible terrible error, I am sure that Dion can rebound from this. However, I am really hoping the Liberals do not want to go into an election right now. It would be a huge mistake, We need to see the Conservatives make a big mistake and so far they aren't. However, I personally feel that Harper is not going to make a move until after October 10, that's after the Ontario Provincial Election, BTW.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
What Was Brian Mulroney Thinking?
Shame on Brian Mulroney, He should know better then to kick somebody who cannot speak for himself and cannot defend himself. Mr. Mulroney should know better then to speak ill of the dead, and certainly it's even more shameful he did it to someone who cannot even respond. I admit Pierre Elliott Trudeau was not a perfect man, he was a great politician and Leader, but for Brian Mulroney to say what he did is absolutely shameless and uncalled for.
What's The Deal With John Tory?
I'm back from Summer Vacation and ready to blog, I know blogging can be very difficult considering you have to keep working at it. I haven't found much to post about until today, when I've officially realized that John Tory has completely lost his mind.
To be quite honest, as a member of the Liberal Party, I seriously believed that John Tory hitting the liberals over the head with the Broken Promises was really going to do some severe damage, so yes I was quite fearful of what Tory could do. But, instead Tory has run a very sloppy campaign so far. He's had a case of what we like to call foot in mouth disease and cannot seem to get his foot out of his mouth. But, even before that I would say Tory has made some boneheaded moves.
The first boneheaded move came when he chose to run in Toronto, Though John Tory kept his word, he knows damn well it was by far idiotic, I really think that Toronto has changed heavily since the Tories were swept out of Toronto in 2003, The Federal Tories have not held a seat in Urban Toronto in almost 10 years or so and the Provincial Tories are hoping to not start a repeat of that record. If John Tory had run in his old riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey (Now Dufferin-Caledon), he would not have had to worry about campaiging in a very liberal city like Toronto, instead he did just that. Don Valley West, the riding John Tory is running in, does have a bit of a libertarian streak to it and I admit Tory did not pick downtown Toronto, but this is still going to be very very close.
The other boneheaded move by Tory? His opponent is Kathleen Wynne who just so happens to be the Minister of Education, with John Tory now bringing up the Funding Religious Schools Argument, Wynne will likely be able to use her knowledge in the portfolio of Education, to destroy Tory's arguments on this. I know that Provincially, the tories are not as hated as the federal tories are in toronto. But still, this does not Mean John Tory will win this in a walk.
Then Come the Gaffes.
Gaffe #1: Tory Refers to the University of Ottawa as the University of Zero
Gaffe #2: Tory Claims Standardized Testing Can't Be Trusted Because of a Liberal Conspiracy
Gaffe #3: Tory says: Creationism is Awesome and should be taught in Faith-Based Schools!
Jaysus Leweezus, Hasn't John Tory done more then enough to insult the education system the past few days? These Gaffes not only show that John Tory cannot control his mouth, it also shows what Little Knowledge he has of the Education System. McGuinty should make it a priority to hammer this home in the debates. He needs to make the point that Tory is completely oblivious on education and that he doesn't seem to know how the heck the education system works.
I should also ask why Mr. Tory is so hellbent and headstrong on bringing back a failed policy of the Harris Tory era? Somebody please tell me, What is the deal with John Tory?
To be quite honest, as a member of the Liberal Party, I seriously believed that John Tory hitting the liberals over the head with the Broken Promises was really going to do some severe damage, so yes I was quite fearful of what Tory could do. But, instead Tory has run a very sloppy campaign so far. He's had a case of what we like to call foot in mouth disease and cannot seem to get his foot out of his mouth. But, even before that I would say Tory has made some boneheaded moves.
The first boneheaded move came when he chose to run in Toronto, Though John Tory kept his word, he knows damn well it was by far idiotic, I really think that Toronto has changed heavily since the Tories were swept out of Toronto in 2003, The Federal Tories have not held a seat in Urban Toronto in almost 10 years or so and the Provincial Tories are hoping to not start a repeat of that record. If John Tory had run in his old riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey (Now Dufferin-Caledon), he would not have had to worry about campaiging in a very liberal city like Toronto, instead he did just that. Don Valley West, the riding John Tory is running in, does have a bit of a libertarian streak to it and I admit Tory did not pick downtown Toronto, but this is still going to be very very close.
The other boneheaded move by Tory? His opponent is Kathleen Wynne who just so happens to be the Minister of Education, with John Tory now bringing up the Funding Religious Schools Argument, Wynne will likely be able to use her knowledge in the portfolio of Education, to destroy Tory's arguments on this. I know that Provincially, the tories are not as hated as the federal tories are in toronto. But still, this does not Mean John Tory will win this in a walk.
Then Come the Gaffes.
Gaffe #1: Tory Refers to the University of Ottawa as the University of Zero
Gaffe #2: Tory Claims Standardized Testing Can't Be Trusted Because of a Liberal Conspiracy
Gaffe #3: Tory says: Creationism is Awesome and should be taught in Faith-Based Schools!
Jaysus Leweezus, Hasn't John Tory done more then enough to insult the education system the past few days? These Gaffes not only show that John Tory cannot control his mouth, it also shows what Little Knowledge he has of the Education System. McGuinty should make it a priority to hammer this home in the debates. He needs to make the point that Tory is completely oblivious on education and that he doesn't seem to know how the heck the education system works.
I should also ask why Mr. Tory is so hellbent and headstrong on bringing back a failed policy of the Harris Tory era? Somebody please tell me, What is the deal with John Tory?
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