[fvc-wat-disc] "Local Proportional Representation"

[Eleanor Grant]

Hi Fair Voters,

Cathy and Salim and I went to the meeting in Guelph Thurs evening about the
new initiative called Local PR.  Their Liberal MP Lloyd Longford is
prepared to push it forward if they get enough signatures.  They'll be at
Guelph market Sat March 11.

The speaker, Steve Dyck, said that Local PR has the support of Nathan
Cullen, Eliz May, and Jean-Pierre Kingsley - and even our Anita N.  It has
the advantage that it can be implemented more quickly than other PR systems
because it would not require new riding boundaries or more MPs.  In this
way we could call Trudeau's bluff, that there's "no consensus on a system"
and "too hasty" to do by 2019.

Web site AllVotesCount.ca
Twitter @AllVotesCount , @SteveDyck .

The system was not quite explained to my satisfaction.  I couldn't see how
it's really different from STV - you just have *clusters* of ridings
instead of larger ridings.  And every riding has to have one MP - so I
couldn't see where it would actually work out be fair to the small
parties.  Depending on the number of ridings in the cluster, the
*threshold* at which a smaller party would get a seat would vary: the
bigger the cluster, the lower the threshold.

It appears to be less than true PR, but perhaps more palatable to those who
are hesitant about change, and definitely an improvement over FPTP.

Cath and Salim, and Anita, do you think I've explained it accurately?

If Guelph succeeds in spear-heading Local PR, there'll be a push to get
support across Canada in a very short time frame - like 2 months.

FYI,
Eleanor
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