GreenDude

According to the Toronto Star, John Tory has sent an email to “tens of thousands” of Ontario PC supporters encouraging them to vote against MMP in tomorrow’s Ontario referendum. In the email he claims:

It is felt that the alternative proposed system known as MMP will increase the influence and power of the political party and its leader while decreasing the independence of MPP.

Apparently Mr. Tory feels that under MMP that he, as a party leader, could not be trusted to run his own party in a fair and democratic manner. This is just one more John Tory gaffe in this election. The first was following Newmarket-Aurora candidate Frank Klees suggestion to fully fund faith-based schools across the province. A move which has led to disasterous results for the party and will likely lead to his own electoral defeat in the the riding of Don Valley West.

Ironically Mr. Tory has run this campaign on the slogan “Leadership Matters.” I agree, and this is precisely the leadership that Ontarians don’t need. I encourage everyone to vote tomorrow, both against your local anti-democracy “John Tory Candidate” and for MMP.

According to this article on the Vote for MMP site we are finally able to put to rest the ridiculous assertions that political parties would use party lists as a means to reward party loyalists and friends of the leader. (more…)

There have been a lot of good arguments for MMP written over the past few weeks. Some by me, (shameless self promotion!) and many more by others, (Glenn Hubbers, Andrew Coyne, and many others.) In these commentaries many great arguments have been made, but here’s one that I don’t think has got enough play. MMP helps to combat regionalism in Canadian Politics. (more…)