2007-09-06

My Referendum Quandary

What to do about the referendum. While i believe we need electoral reform I would prefer a preferential ballot system to a proportional representation system, as stated in a previous Fifth Column. My quandary is that if I vote yes in the referendum question and it is approved will it shut the door forever on a preferential ballot system and if I vote no and it fails will the likelihood of electoral reform of any kind be nil.

The answer of course is obvious. Looking at these questions rather than the ballot question itself is the same as strategic voting, which is what I believe to be the biggest problem with the current system. The simple question is whether I prefer the status quo or the proposed alternative. No other questions are on the ballot.

2 comments:

Oxford County Liberals said...

I don't think preferential ballot is the answer, for reasons I stated here.

Derrida (sous rature) said...

Sadly I don't really see any quandary. Although I'm working as hard as I can promoting MMP and the electoral reform referendum, the fact remains that 1) thanks to the Ontario Liberals, no one even knows about the referendum and 2) even if the pro MMP forces gained any momentum, the fact that McGuinty placed a supermajority requirement on the referendum means that I'd fall off my chair if MMP were to go through.

So you see, you're hardly in a quandary. You admit that MMP is preferable to FPTP. So vote for that and fight for preferential ballot after the referendum crashes and burns. I'd be surprised if we reach even 40%, but I'm glad that many more people now realize how bizarre FPTP. And I still think citizens' assemblies are a good thing, even if this government wasted alot of people's time, never having had any serious intention to support the process nor the recommendation.