GP Radio: July 31
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007
The Electoral Reform Edition
Whenever we talk about elections, we seem to focus on what candidate or what party we plan on voting for. Perhaps because of this, we tend to forget the electoral system that shapes our choices. In the United States, the choice is usually between the Republicans and Democrats and in Canada, the choice is between Conservative, Liberals and the NDP. However, a move is afoot in Canada and the United States to change the system to allow us a more flexible choice on the ballot.
Jim Harris and the Yes Referendum in Ontario, Canada
Jim Harris is the former Leader of the Green Party of Canada and recent inductee to the board of directors for Fair Vote Canada. He believes that there is a historic opportunity to move to a system of Mixed Member Proportional Representation. If it passes, it will inevitably lead to having Green Party members elected to the legislature.
We talk about what it will take to win this historical vote, how it might be accomplished, and what kind of opposition the ‘Yes’ side is likely to encounter in the next few months.
If you’re interested in getting involved in this campaign, you can contact Jim at jim@jimharris.ca. You can also visit his blog on the Ontario election by visiting http://greenparty.ca/en/node/1859
Ken Mathenia and the Michegan Third Parties Coalition
Ken Mathenia is the Chair of the Green Party of Michegan and the Green Party Representative for the newly created third party coalition. The coalition is made up of US Taxpayers Party, the Reform Party, the Socialist Party and the Libertarian Party and while they don’t agree on much, what they do agree on is that it is in the interest of democracy for their parties to be granted ballot access and the ability to participate in candidates debates.
