The Inhumanity of MMP

[Marcus Brubaker]

Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> Marcus Brubaker wrote:
>
>   
>> I was at a FPTP v MMP debate last week with Andrew Coyne and I thought
>> he put it very well.  Parties aren't suicidal.  If parties engage in
>> backroom dealing that upsets their supporters, they will be punished at
>> the next election.
>>     
>
> Conversely, they can totally please their supporters, and still get
> punished by the electorate. Or they can compromise core principles in
> order to get elected -- witness the growing rift between the NDP and the
> trade union movement.
>   

Actually, that is something that would change under MMP.  The NDP could 
please their supporters but actually get a fair share of the seats in 
parliament.

>> Similarly if they continually put party hacks on
>> their lists that no one wants.
>>     
>
> Since you don't know in advance how many list candidates will get in
> power, you have to vote for the policies rather than the slate of
> people. And if the slate has a bunch of people you don't know but two or
> three that you really can't stand, is that enough reason to vote against
> the party on the list vote? Since they're all voting party line, why
> should it even matter who the list candidates are?
>   

True, you don't know the total number but I think it's a matter of 
weighting.  If you hate someone on the list, but (s)he's #39 then it's 
(basically) irrelevant.  If they're in the top 10 then maybe I'd give it 
consideration.

>> No different than what we have now,
>> really.  It's not like there is a mechanism in Ontario where an MPP can
>> get booted out if their constituents are unhappy with them.  (Whether
>> there should be such a mechanism is another question.)
>>     
>
> Now you're talking. The two best possible electoral reforms I can think
> of are:
> - an elected Senate with term limits
> - a recall system for MPs and MPPs
>
> The ability for a riding to recall its representative in mid-term is IMO
> a far more useful change than proportional representation could ever be.
>   
Those could all be good things but I see it as an orthogonal discussion 
to this one.  If MMP and FPTP both suffer some of the same problems, 
then those problems are not really relevant in deciding which is 
better.  Of course, it would be nice if MMP or some other proposal would 
solve all the problems but that's just never going to happen.  Nothings 
perfect, especially when even a little bit of the debate is speculative 
as it is here.

MMP is targeted towards making the platform preferences of the populace 
better represented in parliament.  The question isn't whether MMP is 
perfect.  I don't think anyone is arguing that it is (I'm sure not!) The 
question is whether it's better over all.

Cheers,
Marcus
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