Comments | pnijjar: MMP 102: What do List Members Do?

pnijjar

MMP 102: What do List Members Do?

Sep 07, 2007 16:38

Perhaps the least understood aspect of MMP in Ontario has to do with the role of the list MPPs. Coming from a FPTP system, we are used to our riding representatives having a distinct, well-defined role: they represent their party in legislature, and represent the interests of their riding at home. In MMP, we add list MPs to this mix. It is pretty ( Read more... )

fair vote canada, mmp 102, big honking entries

Comments 5

Cross-posted at voteformmp.ca anonymous September 8 2007, 00:00:03 UTC

Very informative. I've cross-posted from my blog at the voteformmp.ca site.

Impressive! linuxluver September 8 2007, 00:02:49 UTC

An excellent article. Thank you for writing it and posting it.

A couple of comments:

1. I'm not surprised that people who actually had a real-life experience of contact with an MP (list and local) had a much higher opinion of them than those to never do and who - presumably - parroting media-driven negative stereotypes.

1. List MPs are accessible by anyone from anywhere in the jurisdiction, so whether or not they do "constituency" work in the classic mold is perhaps irrelevant or at the very least, less relevant. They are accessible to voters. That is what matters.

How will List MPPs work in Ontario? wilf_day September 8 2007, 01:37:53 UTC

Excellent article. The one missing element is Ontario's low 30% ratio of List MPPs. How will that affect their role here ( ... )

Re: How will List MPPs work in Ontario? wilf_day September 22 2007, 15:01:09 UTC

Here's my two-cents worth that appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 20 Toronto Sun ( ... )

Re: How will List MPPs work in Ontario? pnijjar September 23 2007, 04:59:28 UTC

Sorry, I disagree quite strongly. Did you not read the blog post? Except for the Scottish Greens and in Wales where they outlawed dual-candidacy the list members mostly come from people who also run in ridings. Of course they knock on your door disturbing your dinner -- they canvass and campaign just like everybody else.

As for them being appointed and not elected: give it up. The party leaders appoint party lists for some (but not all) small parties, but the big parties all use democratic nomination processes. It is true that some of the list MPs are of poor quality and that they are widely perceived to be second rate in Scotland, Wales and NZ. It is also true that they are subject to rigid party discipline -- but that means they have to go out and do the best they can to raise that party's profile, becuase if they don't then they lose rank in the lists, and the party loses party vote, which is how these people get elected. (And lots of people do lose their ranking -- turnover on the lists is very high, as the Vowles Banducci Karp ( ... )