AlolanVulpix

joined 3 years ago
MODERATOR OF
 

Conservative MP-elect for Battle River-Crowfoot Damien Kurek, seen here during question period in 2023. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Damien Kurek, the Conservative MP-elect for Battle River-Crowfoot, just announced he's stepping down to allow Poilievre to run in a by-election.

The riding, which Kurek has held since 2019, occupies a vast territory in Alberta between Calgary and Edmonton and has been a Conservative stronghold since it was created 10 years ago.

Kurek was first elected in the riding in 2019. In an emailed statement, Kurek said the decision is temporary, saying he'd hand over his seat to Poilievre "for the remainder of this Parliamentary session" and "run again here in Battle River-Crowfoot in the next general election."

It's unclear what that means for Poilievre afterward.

"Pierre Poilievre just finished a remarkable national campaign that received the highest vote share since 1988," Kurek said in the statement.

"An unstoppable movement has grown under his leadership, and I know we need Pierre fighting in the House of Commons to hold the Liberal minority government to account."

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

I'm pivoting in other ways that either advance PR or civics! The Fair Vote community is in a good place with the work we've done so far!

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Any for-profit organization (e.g. Globe & Mail and Toronto Star) can be acquired simply by buying shares. We've seen this with the Hudson Bay, for example.

The featured media outlets in the infographic are either government owned, or non-profit. You can't acquire the government, and a non-profit structure doesn't have shareholders.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Globe & Mail and Toronto Star are currently, Canadian owned, but can be acquired (by foreign interest).

P.s. none of the Canadian owned news outlets in the infographic can be acquired.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

I appreciate your question about the potential trade-off between proportional representation and local representation, especially in large countries like Canada where population is concentrated in a few cities.

This concern about weakening the local representative link is one of the most common arguments against PR, but it's based on a false premise. Both Single Transferable Vote (STV) and Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) are designed specifically to maintain strong geographic representation.

Addressing large countries with urban concentration:

In MMP, rural and less populated areas still have their own local representatives, just as they do under FPTP. The difference is that additional regional representatives ensure overall proportionality. This addresses the specific concern of urban-rural balance while maintaining local connections.

With STV, while districts often elect multiple members, every voter is still guaranteed local representation. The key difference from FPTP is that under winner-take-all systems, only voters who supported the plurality winner get a representative aligned with their views. Under STV, virtually all voters get a local representative they actually voted for.

The "one accountable representative" advantage of FPTP is largely illusory:

You mentioned that FPTP allows voters to elect "an MP who is accountable to their specific community and can be voted out if they don't perform well." But this advantage exists only for the minority of voters who supported the winning candidate. In most ridings, 50-60% of voters end up with an MP they voted against.

These voters have no effective local representation they can hold accountable. With PR systems, a much higher percentage of voters have representatives they actually supported.

How PR systems actually enhance local representation:

  • MMP: Every voter has both a directly elected local MP (maintaining the geographic link) plus regional MPs who help create proportionality. This gives voters multiple representatives they can approach.

  • STV: Each voter has multiple representatives for their region. If one MP is unresponsive or doesn't share your views, you can approach another who better represents your perspective.

This multi-representative approach is actually more accountable than FPTP, not less. Under FPTP, if your local MP ignores your concerns, you have no alternative representation until the next election.

The fundamental purpose of an electoral system is to ensure citizens have effective representation in government. Only proportional representation consistently delivers on this principle while still maintaining appropriate geographic representation.

For visual explanations of how these systems maintain local connections, I'd recommend CGP Grey's videos on STV and MMP.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

only to become what amounts to a political practical joke

Why? Because Pedneault decided to stick to principles rather than capitulate and join a big tent party?

 

SmartVoting.ca on Bluesky

CPC takes two from the LPC in our latest update. But the Conservative vote continues to weaken nationwide meaning more is up for grabs.

FEDERAL SEAT PROJECTION

  • LPC: 189 (218)
  • CPC: 122 (86)
  • BQ: 23 (25)
  • NDP: 8 (11)
  • GPC: 1 (3)
  • PPC: 0 (0)

April 22, 2025 | MOE: +/- 10

#cdnpoli #election #canada

 

Media Ecosystem Observatory on Bluesky

With Meta’s news ban still in place, many Canadians are now completely missing traditional media in their feeds. @abridgman.bsky.social warns this could lead to “less broad understanding of politics and more hyper-focused issue orientations," : www.france24.com/en/live-news...

 

Fair Vote Canada 🗳️🍁 on Bluesky

Glad to see commitments from @canadiangreens.bsky.social and @ndp.ca to proportional representation!

With rising authoritarianism, our democracy is too important to leave to politicians elected with just 30–40% support.

Ask your candidates where they stand, and vote accordingly.

#cdnpoli

Text titled “A Voting System That Works” outlines the Green Party’s electoral reform commitments. It states that the current system is unfair and millions of votes don’t count. Their proposed changes include adopting proportional representation, lowering the voting age to 16, restoring the per-vote subsidy to support smaller parties, and creating a Citizens' Assembly to guide reforms. Text titled “Putting an end to unfair elections” outlines the NDP’s plan to fix Canada’s voting system. It criticizes the current system as outdated and unfair, and blames the Liberals for broken promises. The NDP pledges to make the 2025 election the last under the current system and promises to establish an independent Citizens' Assembly to implement a Mixed-Member Proportional system in time for the next federal election.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

You're right to call me out on this, Alexis. While I shared this Green post, I'm not endorsing them. I'm just sharing content that highlights a key problem with our electoral system.

The "ignore vote splitting arguments" part directly relates to FVC's core mission - it perfectly illustrates why proportional representation is so urgently needed. Under our current system, voters are constantly pressured to vote strategically rather than for who they actually support.

My view has always been consistent: people should vote for candidates who support proportional representation, regardless of party. Greens🟢/NDP🟧/Bloc⚜️ consistently support PR, while Liberals and Conservatives have repeatedly blocked meaningful reform.

I believe voting for parties that promise proportional representation is always better than voting for those that don't. But I'm not telling anyone specifically who to vote for - just highlighting an example of how our broken system forces impossible choices on voters who care about both policy issues AND fair representation.

Sorry if this came across as partisan - that wasn't my intent.

 

London North Centre GPO/ London Centre GPC on Bluesky

Today is Earth Day. If you didn't vote yet, then consider the future of young Canadians when casting your ballot. While there are many immediate issues affecting people, we need significant climate change mitigation efforts now. Ignore vote splitting arguments & vote GREEN for a better environment.

Our @canadiangreens.bsky.social candidates are: London Centre, @maryannhodge.bsky.social; London West, Jeff Vanderzwet and Middlesex-London, Jim Johnston. Vote for change; vote Green!

 

Media Ecosystem Observatory on Bluesky

AI now lets users generate fake images of politicians, but the risks are clear.

@abridgman.bsky.social warns about the dangers of AI-driven disinformation in this election: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

 

Fair Vote Canada 🗳️🍁 on Bluesky

The “no consensus” excuse is getting old.

EKOs polling shows Canadians support proportional representation.

What we lack isn’t agreement—it’s political courage.

#cdnpoli #Election2025 www.coastreporter.net/2025-canada-...

 
 

Longest Ballot Committee on Bluesky

Jordan Leichnitz shares a common misconception about how Canadian democracy works on the "Curse of Politics" podcast. Unfortunately it is the ruling party, not Elections Canada, who decides election law. It seems like a crazy set up but it's true.

#electoralreform #citizensassembly

 

Media Ecosystem Observatory on Bluesky

Elections used to be shaped by silence. Now, they’re shaped by what doesn’t show up in your feed. @abridgman.bsky.social explains how Meta’s news ban is leaving millions of Canadians in the dark: youtu.be/RtxQvLTxATQ

view more: ‹ prev next ›