Mock Democracy

Budget Implementation Bill To Be Studied By 9 Committees: via HuffPost http://huff.to/QGcI1W Big f.. .king deal. As if this sham process makes one damn bit of difference, but, hey, all those parliamentarians have to do something since real debate is impossible. Might as well have a make work project. It'll keep them busy and make them feel good. Lots of press coverage after meetings, etc. Good stuff, don't ya know. Pure mock parliamentarian democracy. Representational government under first past the post is failing us miserably.

Simulation of Ontario Vote Suggests Proportional Representation Has Merit

                                        Voting system affects outcome, simulation finds - Ottawa - CBC News


This experiment is fascinating. What I find most intriguing are the hypothetical outcomes in terms of both a percentage of the popular vote and seat distribution based on the actual results of out first past the post Ontario election:

                                                    Actual FPTP Election Outcome and Weighted AV and PR Vote Results

	FPTP (Actual election outcome)	AV (first preferences)	PR
Liberal	37.6 %	33.6%	32.1%
PC	35.4%	32.7%	28.4%
NDP	22.7	24.6	26.2
Green	2.9%	6.5%	7.2%
Other	1.3%	2.6%	6.2%

                                                    Actual FPTP seat distribution and estimated PR seat distribution

	FPTP (actual election outcome)	PR
Liberal	53	36
PC	37	31
NDP	17	31
Green	0	8
Other	0	1

Notice how radically different, in particular, the distribution of seats would be under an actualized PR system and how much of the power shifts to both the ONDP and the GPO away from the OLP and PCPO.

There is little doubt that PR is a more fundamentally democratic system of voting for the simple reason that it is more representative of actual voter participation and presumed intention. It does lead to an entirely different kind of governing structure involving much negotiation and many  trade-offs, true, but it is representational government at its most core level - which is why so many around the world use it as their voting system despite the challenges.

And our voting system of FPTP is certainly one but not the only reason for such profound voter indifference and apathy, especially from young and less educated voters, who feel  -  given that they think at all about an election - that  were they to take the time to vote, their vote would almost always be wasted unless they voted for the FPTP winner:  you vote for candidate x, but you don't see that vote reflected in the results in any way.  With a PR system, no matter for whom you voted, you do. It seems to me that this potential for real political participation is a very good reason to begin a serious public conversation about our voting system.