Vote YES to MMP

Several people have asked me about the Green Party’s stand on Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation, which will be put to a referendum simultaneously with the provincial election this October 10.  I urge everyone to consider voting for Patrick Kraemer and strongly suggest that everyone vote YES to MMP.

The Green Party supports proportional representation and mixed-member proportional is among the best democratic systems available.  To explain why, I asked my friend Sharon Howarth, who is devoting every moment of her time to promoting MMP.  Here are her comments:

REFERENDUM’S New Voting System OUSTS PHONEY MAJORITIES

On Election Day, October 10, 2007, voters will be able to choose a new voting system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) recommended by the Citizens Assembly. The Assembly was made up of regular Ontarians who compared our existing voting system called First-Past-the-Post with those used by other world democracies and concluded that MMP was far superior for Ontarians. There is further documentation with supports that with MMP, poverty would be reduced and, without raising taxes, there would be more benefits and services directed to the people.

Here are a few pertinent questions and answers…

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE PRESENT VOTING SYSTEM KNOWN AS FIRST-PAST-THE-POST?

The existing systems is one that limits choice, produces unfair results and weak representation.

The major dysfunction of the present voting system is that it creates “phoney” majorities by ignoring or not having every vote count. In an election where a riding has 4 candidates each representing a different party, the candidate with ONLY 26% of the votes (barely over ¼) can become the representative for the “whole” riding. The 74% (slightly under ¾) of all those who voted, get NO representation what-so-ever. Their votes are completely disregarded and they are left with an elected person who does not represent their views. The system exists because of and belongs to the voters who pay taxes and it is a gross injustice that the majority do not get any representation when the numbers unquestionably show that across the province their party has received the same number of votes to get a seat as did elected candidates.

WHAT IS A MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL VOTING SYSTEM, KNOWN AS MMP, AND RECOMMENDED BY THE CITIZENS ASSEMBLY?

As a voting system, most world democracies have adopted a form of Proportional Representation and Mixed Member Proportional being one. At the request of the Ontario Government, 103 randomly chosen Ontarians formed the Citizens’ Assembly to assess Ontario’s voting system (the way votes translate into seats) by comparing it to other democratic systems around the world and to recommend whether we should keep our current system or adopt a different one. They worked independently of government and political parties and recommended to replace our existing voting system with Mixed Member Proportional (MMP).

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO ONTARIO VOTERS WITH A MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM?

With a Mixed Member Proportional system, Ontario voters will rightly have the benefits of fairer results, more choice and stronger representation. The number of seats a party is awarded will be in direct proportion to the votes they received. Parties will be awarded no more and no fewer seats than they really deserve. The allocation of seats will be fairly matched to the casted votes ie a candidate and party will be awarded a seat which will match the votes they received. Every vote will be counted and matter.

The major benefit will be stronger representation because EVERY vote will count and be directed first to the person then to the party that people supported. As an example, in an election between 4 candidates each representing different parties, the candidate who receives as low as 26% of the total votes (barely over ¼) is elected as the representative for the “whole” riding while the other three party representatives received just under 25% each, 1% under the winning candidate and totally 74% of the complete vote. This means that 74% of the electorate in each riding have NO representation what-so-ever. The system exists and belongs to the voters as they pay the taxes and their votes must be counted. Under MMP, votes for parties from one riding will be added to the votes for the same party from other ridings and the 74% of citizens will now have representation which translates into seats in parliament.

Sharon Howarth
s_how1@yahoo.ca
416-604-5783
FURTHER ANSWERS including Videos………..

Citizen’s Assembly Members

Completing the Ballot called Billy Ballot (animated)

Vote For MMP
416-644-1034
info@voteformmp.ca

Fair Vote Canada
https://www.fairvote.ca/