mercredi 30 septembre 2009

Party choices.

Did you know that Canada has 19 registered political parties?  There is a 20th one on the way: the Pirate party, aiming to change the Copyright and Patent Acts.  Could these parties offer a credible alternative to our worn out Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats?
For a complete list go to www.electionscanada.ca/content.asp?sec...   You will find a resumé on each party and where to reach them.  Food for thought?

4 commentaires:

  1. Old parties though worn out are entrenched into power and difficult to beat. As for the number of parties, the question arises whether it is good for democracy or not. As for the Italian experience, numerous parties better reflect people's will but produce quarrelsome and politically weak coalitions. Amazing how different Canada is from the US, with their historical dual party system. But probably the Canadian mosaic model is the explanation.

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  2. Canada has a first past the post electoral system. It is not a proportional representation system. It does happen that due to regional disparities the party with the most votes does get the most seats.
    As for the number of parties, some are regional parties such as the Bloc Québécois and the Western Canada Party who field candidates in their regions only and will never be in power. Others are one cause party, niche parties so to speak, they appeal to a very small segment of the electorate and never garner even 1% of the total votes. One, the Neorhino is a spoof on politics and all it's candidates run under a nickname and wear red clown noses.
    The Greens are not yet a credible force in Canada and the NDP has a very limited base. So, basically, we do have a two party system, the Liberals and the Conservatives.

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  3. Uhm, good and bad here. Good, so everyone feels represented; bad, because it will take a great many compromises to reach decisions. I don't know which is worse. Look at us: we are in a stalemate--pushing each other back and forth to no good end.

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  4. There is a fundamental difference here, Rosaria. In the Commons the party line is strictly enforced. You will not have members of a party voting against the party line as you have in the US. That would mean rxclusion from the party and that means no more public financing, no more research assistant, no more floor time for the excluded member. It spells political death.
    Any dissension is dealt with in closed doors caucuses. Once the caucus and the leader have reached a decision, it's toe the line or you are out.

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