Having been on the receiving end of first-past-the-post, the Liberal Party of Canada is probably open to some new electoral thinking. Having witnessed the destructive power of a harpercon majority, the NDP will be ready to do anything to avoid a repeat of the vote-splitting that gave a minority of ignorant or stupid voters the power to fuck us all over.
If harper hasn't killed us all through nuclear meltdowns, poisoned deli-meats, tainted water, privatized healthcare, private prisons' brutality, and the reinstatement of the death penalty, and IF Quebec hasn't separated, the Liberals and the NDP must construct a mutually-agreed upon platform designed to last for two years (because Canadians don't like voting). The first thing the Lib-NDP coalition must do is implement some form of proportional representation or instant run-off, or whatever.
NDP MPs campaign in the ridings where they have seats.
Liberal riding associations that want to form a coalition and which have Liberal representation will get to run a Liberal unopposed.
Liberal riding associations with a Liberal MP who do not want the coalition will face an NDP challenger.
Ridings where there's a harpercon will face whichever opposition party scored highest.
Ridings where it's a toss-up can have their local associations meet and decide who to run as a candidate.
harper now sees that Quebec is a source of strength for the opposition. He knows he'll never win it. It's not beyond him to try to drive it out of Canada.
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7 comments:
Your last sentence speaks to one of my worries. Some may accuse me of making the Chicken Little Argument.
But for all of Harper's supposed "strategic genius," I see that outcome as a distinct possibility.
At one time, the western provinces wanted to separate from the east. The west was fed up with the east dictating to the west. It was said, the west's tax dollars would stay in the west. They said the west, would be 40% better off. I think the Territories wanted to come in with the west.
I think Quebec, will try to separate. They have no use for Harper. After reading, Harper delivers his plan on, Global Governance for Canada. I fear for Canada and the people. Many others say, Canada will be the largest state, in the U.S.A.
Who knows what will go on. Politicians are no longer, for the country or the people. All Canadian citizens can do is, vote for the politician, that has told the least number of lies.
Yes. We can't count on inertia to keep the federation together in the face of a prime minister who would tear it apart if it suited him.
Oh well. Ontario has 11 million people. I'll be part of a smaller country but i'll live in the capital.
Wonder what they'll do with the Parliament buildings in Ottawa?
Turn it into one giant nightclub where people can drink their faces off and have puking contests in honour of Sir John A.
There'll be videos of stephen harper speaking to get everyone properly nauseous.
Call me a hair-splitter if you must, but while certain individual Liberal activists might be open to some new electoral thinking, I wouldn't be so sanguine about the Liberal Party itself.
I understand that they need some time to grieve, to heal and to come to terms with their third-party status, and I'm willing to grant them that time. But I'm not willing to put the hard work we need to do on hold while they do that.
We're facing four years of war, to be fought on many fronts and on many battlefields. If they want to spend their time and energy gazing at their navels and trying to revive a decrepit institution that's past its shelf life, that's up to them, but I've got more important things to do. And that goes for anyone else who's not comfortable with the idea of a permanent Conservative majority.
OB,
I can't see that they'll stay in a state of self-delusion for too long.
The thing they'll have to realize is that if they want to rebuild, they'll need power.
They might never get power again, unless they do it with a coalition partner.
Then it will be up for what's left of the party to decide which side they're on: harper's or Canada's.
Of course, the choice won't be that stark. The NDP will be mitigating its demands to forge a government that will be agreeable to left liberals.
The point is to try to win power and install proportional representation so that we don't suffer again what we're going to suffer.
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