the left most of all ironing boards
So we are having a provincial election here on Tuesday. Likely there will be some number of people who will vote. Here we vote for representatives of a political party who is purported to represent us, if elected, on behalf of the riding (electoral constituency) in which we live. The voting uses the first past the post system, so if the candidate from Political Party A gets 111 votes, and the one from Party B gets 109, and the remaining 21,056 people do not vote, the Party A candidate represents the 21,276 people in the riding.
What I have provided is an extreme example, where the wishes of 111 people are used as the desired of over 21,000. However, this is often how it is, that the candidate who wins, may win by gaining as little as 30% of all votes.
This year we have three major political parties:
The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ)
The Coalition for the Future of Quebec (CAQ)
The Parti Quebecois (PQ).
The PLQ has been in power for the last nine years or so, most of the populate of Quebec want this party and the leader out.
The CAQ is a new party lead by a charismatic man who managed to get a number of star candidates. This group is looking like a good alternative to the PLQ and the PQ.
The PQ is mostly about sovereignty and promoting aggressively the culture and language of the majority.
There are other smaller parties, these have little to absolutely no chance of getting a single member elected.
There isn't a single one of these parties that is addressing the issues that I find important, so I am only so far able to pick who I will not vote for.
I am leaning towards voting for the Green Party, mostly because their policies and ideas most closely resemble my own, considering how far the other parties are.
At the last election (2008) the Green Party guy got 1897 votes and was second to the winner who had 20,433 votes. There were 48,221 registered electors, so 42% of the population voted for the candidate who got into power.
Most likely the PLQ guy will win again, based on how disparate the results were the last time.
If Quebec politics bore you, I won't be offended.
3 comments:
Not boring at all. In elections in Australia opposing parties join up to vote out the common enemy, ie Labor and The Greens and a few Independents joined up against Liberal and National parties to win the last national election. I think this is a fairer way of doing things because it gives parties like the Greens and Independents a better chance to represent those who voted for them.
Queensland recently had a shift from Labor, who had been in charge for over 20 years and were getting out of control with their spending, to the Liberal National Party. So now we have the Liberal National Party, who are the most short-sighted party ever, going on the biggest cost cutting crusade ever. 20,000 people to be axed from the public service by Christmas. WTF!! Also they are cutting services to the disabled, women's groups and quite a number of health services. Every time I see the Premier on TV now I want to punch him in the head!
And don't get me started on our new Mayor who wants to put highrise on the small island in the middle of the broadwater (remember we went for a walk beside the ocean and then went for a coffee and looked out over the broadwater, well there is where he wants to develop highrise. Ridiculous! And he wants a cruise ship terminal there as well, and then he can develop all that wasted bushland beside the ocean. I want to punch him fair in the face too.
Time to stop before I get anymore annoyed at small minded businessmen.
Wow that would have to be the biggest comment I have left ever. And I hate discussing politics.
Indeed, the longest comment here, anyhow.
Yes, development seems to move onwards and upwards, much to the chagrin of everyone.
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