THIS MAGAZINE: BECAUSE EVERTHING IS POLITICAL

Search for:

• FEATURES
• THIS & THAT
• ARTS & IDEAS
• FICTION & POETRY
• LETTERS
• BLOG THIS
•  
• SUBSCRIBE
• BACK ISSUES
• SUPPORT THIS
•  
• ABOUT THIS
• CONTRIBUTORS
• CONTACT THIS
• ADVERTISE
• SITE MAP

Home » Blog This

April 20, 2009

In the age of Facebook, campaigns need to grow up already

Posted by Graham F. Scott at 11:40 AM ET | Comments (5)

Yesterday Ray Lam stepped down as the NDP candidate for Vancouver-False Creek because one of his opponents objected to photos appearing on Lam's Facebook account. In one, a person "believed to be Lam" has his hand on an unidentified woman's breast (the picture appears at right). It seems safe to assume neither of the people depicted in the photo is sober. In another of the offending photos, the person "believed to be Lam" has his underwear showing and people are tugging on it. Boy, what the youths of today get up to.

I'm not saying the provincial Liberal party in B.C. can't pounce on a political hot-potato and exploit it if it's there for the taking, but honestly, it's time to step back and rethink this type of politicking in the age of Facebook.

It's a cheap, prudish attack, and we know the script well by now. A candidate broadly pantomimes that they are shocked, simply shocked, to find that his or her opponent isn't a saintly asexual teetotaler, and finds him- or herself duty bound to express that shock to the nearest reactionary media outlet. Usually, the attacking party, or sometimes a bored reporter, casts around for some ancient photo or blog post or mp3 of their opponent saying something embarrassing or irrelevant or offensive; the attacker then publicizes this piece of (usually) digital detritus and declares themselves offended; the defendant usually resigns in order to avoid "being a distraction" to the campaign, which is code for "everyone knows this is bullshit but a handful of loudmouth cretins won't stop talking about it."

The Lam photos are embarrassing, sure — even, gosh, inappropriate. But we've got to get over this idea that once-upon-a-time impropriety automatically and forever disqualifies you from public service or political candidacy. It's simply not realistic, and it's getting less so. In 10 years time, what political candidate will not have a backlog of evidence of their vaguely indelicate youth waiting to surface? She's flashing her hip tattoo! He's ironically throwing a gang sign! Quick, call the radio station, the public has to know! It's been used by candidates on both the right and the left — there are officious busybodies of every political stripe. Enough.

I don't write this post to defend Lam; I write it to condemn this asinine, priggish brand of political campaigning. You're running an election for the Province of B.C., not class president on Gossip Girl. Grow up.

More entries on: Provincial Politricks

June 05, 2007

all out of proportion

Posted by john_d at 01:47 PM ET | Comments (30)

(Billy Ballot image courtesy of the Citizens' Assembly site)

I think I work in the most interesting building in the country. 215 Spadina in Toronto is home to the Centre for Social Innovation, a crazy collection of tiny groups and operatives all on the sharp edge of social change. The Lunch 'n Learn schedule alone is worth the price of Spadina rent. Today's topic, a proposed Mixed Member Proportional voting system that will go to a referendum in October. Throw that and a chicken roti together and you have a Toronto policy geek's perfect lunch.

The Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform gathered a representative sampling of Ontarians and gave them a lot of studying to do. They looked through different designs for democratic voting, and have come up with a recommendation for changing Ontario's current first-past-the-post system. Of course, not everyone hates first-past-the-post, but those of us still rubbing our Mike Harris electoral scars are more than willing to try out a new system, especially one that encourages political parties to work together and not indulge in what the MMP folks call "policy lurch," that dramatic, some might say catastrophic rush to discard the former government's work like some enraged spouse tossing an errant partner's belongings into the street.

Their recommendation is, simply put, to give everyone in Ontario two votes in each provincial election. One vote goes to the local candidate of choice. This maintains the traditional Ontario system. If you are a longtime Liberal and you want to keep your riding Liberal, you vote Liberal, no matter who's running -- just like always. As long as your local candidate gets more votes than any other single opponent in that riding, that's your MPP. First past the post remains, locally.

The difference comes in the second vote. With your second vote, you vote for a party. Each party publishes a list of their candidates prior to the election. You check out the lists, decide which party you like best no matter who they might be running in your own riding, and give them a little taste of your second vote. These "list candidates" are then proportionally assigned "list" seats in the legislature according to the percentage party vote.

Sound complicated? It is -- but is it any more inscrutible than a system that gives majority power to a party pulling in less than 40% of the popular vote in any given election?

I know of at least one deep thinker who has already scoffed at this new voting design, and I have similar concerns -- but they are little more than concerns.

Has anyone out there ever actually worked as an election officer, pointing folks to the little booth, handing out ballots, scrutineering for a party, etc? I have. Put an X beside your candidate of choice is too complicated for a surprising proportion of the population. I'm not sure adding another column and asking for two X's will push us over the edge on voter confusion, and if the net result is a more balanced legislature reflecting actual vote proportions, then why not?

Andrew Potter's doubts over the high-minded claims about increases in women and visible minority politicians inherent in the MMP system came up at today's lunch 'n learn as well. If I understand it correctly, a rise in female and minority proportionality is not built into the design of the MMP system; rather, it is simply something that has occured as a result of introducing MMP in other jurisdictions. It has happened reliably elsewhere, therefore the MMP folks feel they can confidently predict it would also happen in Ontario -- as a natural reflection of the actual will of the people.

In effect, an MMP voting system gives voters a powerful tool for punishing parties that do not design their slates equitably. If the people want equitable slates, they will use their party vote to vote against slates composed entirely of white men -- theoretically.

Anyhoo -- referendum's on October 10th. I'm voting yes... and then travelling back in time to that moment in 1995 when I shook Mike Harris' hand safe in the knowledge that he was unelectable. So, so naive.

More entries on: Provincial Politricks

February 20, 2007

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Posted by aaron at 12:18 AM ET | Comments (16)

"Come check it out, Gordo's next door and he's wearing a silk shirt," said my coworker.

We were setting up for lunch in the hotel banquet room when I got the news. "Here's my chance," I thought, as I eyed the pies coming from the kitchen.

Gordo is British Columbia slang for Gordon Campbell, our raging neo-conservative drunk driver of a Premier. The event was a New Year's celebration for the province's Chinese Businessman's Association and Gordo, a day before the new budget, was the star attraction.

There he was, the waspiest of the WASP elite, on a small stage in the corner of the hotel's Ocean View suites surrounded by a few hundred eager members of the province's Chinese business community. The news crew covering the event inexplicably lit him from below which emphasized the tightness of his shirt collar and the resulting double chin.

The shirt itself was a bright red thing, a bit of failed cultural appropriation, as everyone else in the room was in a suit and tie. I stood in the corner looking at the man who'd taken away my right to statutory holiday pay, and my right as on-call staff to work a minimum of four hours before being sent home.

"Remember last week when we came in at five thirty in the morning only to be sent home at nine after we weren't needed anymore," I whispered to my coworker. "That's the fucking guy who made it possible."

The speech was something along the lines of "what a great day for multiculturalism." People were in a party mood, and the crowd pressed closer to the stage. The servers working the event had to run to keep the buffets stocked with Ha Gow and Siu Mai. The silver bowls, meanwhile, were constantly being refilled with lucky-red cranberry punch.

After the speech, the MC announced that Premier Campbell would be doing the ceremonial pinning the eye on the lion (or whatever). The lion dancers entered the room with a gong smash and did their thing. Campbell nodded his coifed white head to the beat as the lions prostrated themsleves before him. That was all I could bear, so I went back across the hall to where the room was steadily filling up with conventioners ready for lunch. The crash of cymbals and drums could still be heard through the walls, however, surprising some of them.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

More entries on: Provincial Politricks

September 20, 2006

The King is Dead

Posted by joyceb at 03:44 PM ET | Comments (1)

It's official, Ralph Klein's resignation as leader of the Progressive Conservative party of Alberta was accepted today. Once a new leader is elected, Klein will resign as premier too.

Klein has been arguably the biggest problem with Alberta's PR for nigh-on a decade now. I'll bet there's some clinking of glasses happening over on Sussex Drive right now too.

Read his complete resignation statement after the jump.

September 20, 2006
Ralph Klein Statement

On Saturday September 16, I submitted a letter of resignation to the President of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. My resignation as leader of the Party will take effect on the day on which the new Premier is sworn in.

Now that I have submitted my letter of resignation to President Doug Graham, the PC Party will undertake its obligations to elect a new leader as outlined in the Party Constitution. I expect that you will be hearing from President Graham about that process very shortly.

As I prepared my letter of resignation, I looked back on the years I served in the Alberta Legislature, the last 13 of which I had the privilege of serving as the Premier of Alberta and leader of the PC Party.

Together, we accomplished a great deal but as everyone knows it wasn’t easy. The early days of deficit elimination and debt retirement were difficult for every Albertan. As we predicted, however, the protests ended as our government got on a sound financial footing. The day that I stood on the steps of McDougall Centre, July 12, 2004 and announced the end of our debt -- 14 years ahead of schedule -- was a proud day for all Albertans. I will never forget it.

Another highlight is the national recognition we have received for our excellent health care and education systems, for which we consistently get the highest ratings in term of service to people and outcomes.

Today we live in a different environment. Our thriving economy is exerting pressures resulting from this growth. Through wise investment we have responded by helping our towns and cities and we continue to maintain and expand our provincial infrastructure of roads, health care and education.

When I pass the torch on to the new Premier later this year, I am proud to say he or she will be leading a healthy province with countless opportunities for all Albertans.

I didn't do it by myself. I owe a great deal of thanks to all those who were part of Ralph's Team -- both elected and non-elected. The MLAs and party members took the same heat that I did and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for staying the course.

Most importantly, however are the severely normal Albertans who supported me and helped guide our province through the past 13 years, during my watch as Premier. I tried to avoid "Dome Disease" so that I could listen and hear the advice of people on the street, at their jobs and on their doorsteps. Severely normal Albertans are the people who really made the difference.

Finally, I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Colleen. She has not only stayed by my side through thick and thin -- she has contributed by donating thousands of hours of her time to charities and community events that benefit the children of this province. We both intend to stay involved and active and will continue to build the Alberta we love.

Ralph Klein

More entries on: Provincial Politricks

---

 Subscribe to the feed

---

Blog This Must-Reads

---

---

---

Blog This Archives

May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
March 2000

---