View source for FairvoteWRC Discussion Night 2018-04-25

== Today's topic: Questions for candidates at ACMs ==

; Held: [http://www.fairvotewrc.ca/event/fairvotewrc-discussion-night/?instance_id=58885 Wednesday, 25 April 2018 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm]
; Location: Community Room at Bread And Roses Cooperative, 307 Queen Street South, Kitchener {{map|url=https://osm.org/go/ZXnwTLMg--?m=}}

=== Other business ===
* FairvoteWRC will be participating in the '''Yes Cambridge!''' event to celebrate and encourage a vote in favour of ranked ballots in the referendum during the fall municipal election.
** There will be a meeting in mid-May, to be held at Sharon Sommerville's house.


* There was an article in The Record on Kitchener South--Hespeler PCO candidate Amy Fee's husband Craig Fee's improper use of his position as a radio announcer to make election commentary
** The Record: [https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8565195-kitchener-dj-s-political-antics-prompt-complaints/ Kitchener DJ’s political antics prompt complaints]
** Sharon Sommerville and others are vigorously pursuing this with complaints to Elections Ontario, and working on getting equal time on radio station 107.5 Dave Rocks


=== Questions for Candidates ===
* Are you going to support Electoral Reform?
** Separate your opinion from the party line
*** Will the candidates only quote from their party policy?


* What is your party's platform on Electoral Reform?
** What is ''your'' position?


* What's the plan?
**  How do you plan to work towards Proportional Representation?


* If your party holds the balance of power in a minority government, will you make Electoral Reform a condition for forming a coalition or agreement?


* Debates?  Do you favour including Green Party leader Mike Schreiner in the televised leaders debates?
** Andrea Horwarth has recently endorsed https://fairdebates.ca and Mike Schreiner
** Kathleen Wynne endorsed https://fairdebates.ca and Mike Schreiner right after the media consortium announced they would exclude Green Pary leader Mike Schreiner


* How would you increase the youth vote?
** Should 16 year olds have the right to vote?
** Ask about beefing up the citizenship curriculum
*** The high school Civics course is only a 1/2 credit, make it a full credit?
*** Include educational material in all curricula, eg. math and literature


* Is Democratic Representation a central Canadian value?
** How "Canadian" are you if you oppose that?
** Does your platform reflect that?
** Is Proportional Representation democratic enough?


* Is it right that all 42 Atlantic province (federal) seats are Liberal?
** Democracy is not just "everybody gets to vote"
** Start with "What is Democracy?"
** 1/2 of the electorate did not vote Liberal but still deserve a place at the table


* Campaign Financing
** Threshold for spending for political activities
*** eg. Canadian Unitarian Council and Cambridge Naturalists
** Third-party regulations
*** Third parties provide education, for a more informed decision
*** Rich organizations have more influence than poor ones
**** They can afford to register and hire a CFO, and pay for an audit


* Candidates (Elected representatives) are not held accountable for election promises
** Excuses:
*** "The financial books were worse than I thought"
*** "The job is more complicated than I thought"
*** "The previous government made a commitment, we now have a contractual obligation" (to follow through with their bad choices)
** Electoral Reform gives us more confidence that these promises will be fulfilled
** More cooperation between parties
** Proportional Representation prevents hijacking the conversation
** Ask about this issue as a question, how would you solve it?
*** The correct answer is Proportional Representation, of course!


* Increase the civics course to a full semester/credit
** Include political philosophy, nuances between Conservatives and Liberals, Neo-Cons and Neo-Libs.
** Add a civics component to all courses: math, language
** Study differnt Electoral systems and their consequences, eg. voting in Russia with 120% voter turnout


* Look at the mandate of Elections Ontario to teach electoral awareness in schools
** Municipalities: More controls from Elections Ontario
*** Consistency for municipalities, eg. ranked ballots; electronic voting; require by-elections, not appointments to fill vacancies
** Voting is a community activity, a learning experience
** Voting publicly is a statement

[[Category:FairvoteWRC]]