Glenn Hubbers

With all the votes cast and counted, we have another false Liberal majority government in Ontario. The numbers tell the tale. With only 42% of the popular vote, Dalton McGuinty is awarded 66% of the seats, while the other parties all receive fewer seats than demanded by the Ontario voters.

Of course, this is fairly common with our first-past-the-post electoral system, and pretty much the rule in Ontario since the 1930’s.  The best we can say is that the Liberals did in fact receive more votes than any other party yesterday. Thankfully, we did not repeat BC 1996, Quebec 2004, or NB 2006. Some small consolation, I guess.

The results were not unexpected from an uninspiring election campaign which almost completely failed to talk about important issues.  Does anyone remember climate change?  Is anyone concerned with wasting $40 billion on nuclear with only 20 years of high grade uranium left in the world?  Is no one concerned with commitments to subsidize an auto industry who refuses to accept higher fuel efficiency standards?

With the media almost entirely focussed on the Tory promise to extend funding to all faith based schools, and since the Tories and Liberals are pretty much the same on so many important issues, these issues weren’t debated, so new ideas to address them do not get aired in the public forum.

On an even sadder note, Ontario voters passed on the historic opportunity to fundamentally change how our government is chosen which would address this problem. It did not achieve 50%, let alone the 60% hurdle set by the McGuinty government.  It is heartening to note, however, that among voters aged 18-34, MMP received 67% support.  So it’s not whether we will have electoral reform, it’s when.

There is, of course, a bright side.  Despite being shut out the legislature by failing to win seats in our archaic first-past-the-post system, the Green Party of Ontario achieved over 8% of the vote, almost tripling the results of the 2003 election.  Despite being shut out of the televised leaders debate and despite little to no coverage in the mainstream media during the last week of the election, the Green Party attracted over 250,000 new voters.

Mahatma Ghandi said, “first they ignore you, then the ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”

The GPO has much to be proud of, including 17 ridings where we finished in 3rd place (1 ahead of the PC’s, 16 ahead of the NDP including our own Newmarket-Aurora) and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound where Shane Jolley finished a solid second behind the PC incumbent with over 33% of the vote.

So in the end result, what will we have for the next four years?

• $40 billion wasted on nuclear power over 20 years.
• Continued discrimination in Ontario schools by segregating students along religious lines.
• Continued half-hearted efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.  All talk, no action.
• Continued subsidized electricity rates, with Ontarians fooled into thinking electricity is cheap while they pay anyway through other taxes.

Now on to the next battle.  Is a federal election looming?

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

voteformmp.ca

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

Toronto – Oct.4, 2007 – Green Party of Ontario candidate Shane Jolley is in second place and closing in on the lead in his riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, according to an Oracle poll released today.

The poll puts support for Jolley at 28%, just nine points behind Conservative incumbent Bill Murdoch (37%) and ahead of the Liberals (21%) and NDP (13%). That means a final push in the run-up to the election next Wednesday could vault Jolley into the Green Party’s first seat at Queen’s Park.

Jolley is a well-respected member of the community who owns a bicycle and clothing store in Owen Sound called Jolley’s Alternative Wheels. The former vice-chair of the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area (DIA) has been active in several community initiatives, including the Owen Sound Economic Development Committee, the Tom Thomson Trail Group, the Local-Motive Policy Project, and Vision for Transportation Alternatives.

“I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve received from voters across the riding, and I’m glad that the Green Party messages on sustainable development, health and the environment are resonating with people here,” Jolley said.

“The people of Grey and Bruce have always had the courage to lead and I will work hard for them if we make history and elect the first Green to Queen’s Park.”

Jolley attributes his high standing in the polls to voters’ concern for the future of the region. He says voters are throwing their support behind him for other reasons too, especially his positive, solutions-oriented approach, which stands in sharp contrast to the bickering of traditional partisan politics.

“This latest poll is proof that the Green Party of Ontario is electable,” GPO Leader Frank de Jong said. “We’re here to stay, and we’re here to win.”

Oracle’s poll of 300 voters in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, conducted between Oct. 2 and 3, has a margin of error of 5.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Health care, education and the environment topped the respondents’ list of key election issues.

If Jolley wins next Wednesday, becoming the first Green elected to any Canadian legislature, it will be the second time the area has made electoral history. Area voters sent Canada’s first female MP, Agnes Macphail, to Parliament in 1921.

The Oracle poll can be found on the Green Party’s website.

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Media Contacts:
Anouk Hoedeman
613-236-7772
ahoedeman@gpo.ca

Sarah Margolius
416-566-4189
smargolius@gpo.ca

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

Ian Urquhart, in his (very poor) effort to describe the effects of the proposed MMP voting system in Ontario, seems to be somewhat disassociated from the facts. [Why I'm voting against MMP, Sept 28]

We don’t have a “three party system”, we have a multi party system. And while Linda McQuaig may have rightfully pointed out to the left supporters that MMP would not have afforded Mike Harris a majority government, it should also be noted that neither would the Bob Rae government have been a majority.

And even if you’re comfortable with these false majorities, surely most people wouldn’t support the majority governments in BC in 1996, Quebec in 1998, and New Brunswick in 2006 where, under our current system, the party winning the most seats was awarded a majority status when they actually received fewer votes than the second place party.

But the most blatant and galling of lies told my Mr Urquhart is his characterization of the Green Party as a fringe party, made up of “quirky environmentalists”, clear evidence that he hasn’t bothered to read the platform. It seems inconceivable that a party polling in the double digits could still be dismissed, especially by paid journalists, as “quirky”, or concerned only with a single issue. This reporting is nothing short of laziness, and is irresponsible.

I notice that the article didn’t mention the parties from the slightly larger fringes, such as the NDP (those pesky socialists), the Liberals (the “I’ll say anything to get your vote and then do the opposite party), or the Conservatives (the people will complain if we dismantle social programs so lets just underfund them instead party).

No matter which political philosophy you support or how comprehensive the platform, in all cases you’re talking about a group of Ontario citizens who care enough to have become engaged in the political process and offer Ontario voters a choice. This effort alone is deserving of our respect.

Much more respect is owed, it seems, than to mediocre journalists (zero research hacks).

As for the original intent of the article, there are pros and cons in any electoral system, but on it’s face MMP is better than our current system for providing a legislature that roughly represents the views of Ontario voters and making all votes count.

I’m beginning to think that certain reporters are coming out against MMP since stable coalition governments with multiple parties working together in the interests of the citizens would provide less backstabbing reality TV type fodder, and actually require journalists to understand the party platforms. Too much work I guess.

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

Some columnists and letter writers to the nations newspapers don’t see a problem that must be fixed in our electoral system.  They seem to think that false majorities, such as our current Liberal government who got 70% of the seats with 47% of the popular vote, are perfectly acceptable.  “At least”, they say, “more people voted for them than voted for any other single party.”

But recent examples in other provinces show that this need not be true.

In the 1996 BC election, the Liberals received 41.82% of the vote and won 33 seats.  The NDP received 39.45% of the vote and 39 seats, enough to form a majority government.

In the 1998 Quebec election, the Liberals received 43.55% of the vote and won 48 seats.  The Parti Quebecois received 42.87% of the vote and won 76 seats, enough to form a majority government.

In the 2006 New Brunswick election, the PC’s received 47.5% of the vote and won 26 seats.  The Liberals received 47.1% of the vote and won 29 seats, enough to form a majority government.

No matter how you spin it, these are elections in which the majority of voters wanted a different result and by accident of where they live and riding boundaries they got stuck with 4 years of majority rule from the wrong party.

Our system is broken.  Under the proposed MMP system, these results would not occur.

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

On October 10, make every vote count. Vote for MMP.

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

The proponents of electoral reform, including yours truly, are working hard to educate people on the merits of the proposed MMP system before the October 10 referendum in Ontario. The message is pretty clear; it will end false majorities, it will make every vote count, etc. etc. (You can read all about it at voteformmp.ca)

Some of this stuff is pretty hard to get your mind around, and people are rightfully confused, especially since those who are arguing against electoral reform have some valid points to make as well. I disagree with them, but I’ve spent more time than most looking at the proposed system and I think the pros vastly outweigh the cons.

But Cameron Smith’s article in the Toronto Star makes an argument that is simple and to the point, and I think could be a very persuasive in convincing Ontarians that electoral reform is long overdue.

He reminds voters about Bob Rae who instituted “Rae Days” with 56.9% of the seats and only 37.6% of the votes, and of Mike Harris who gutted the MOE and MNR, downloaded social services to cities with no funding, and the ever popular fight with the teachers with 63.1% of the seats and only 44.8% of the votes.

All of these things would not have happened if their governments had received seats in proportion to popular vote.

So this is what electoral reform will really deliver. A stop to governments with a minority vote and a majority of seats doing as they please for four years.  A government that is more responsive to the majority will of the voters.

Isn’t that worth voting for?

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

Please sign the petition.

www.letfrankin.ca

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

My cubicle neighbour and I were talking about strategic voting today.

Well, actually, we were talking about coffee.

You see, when we go for a coffee lately, we take the elevator down to street level and then go our separate ways. He goes north west to Starbucks, and I go south east to Second Cup.

Our conversation went something like this….

Stewart: “I really dislike Second Cup coffee.”

Glenn: “Really? I just can’t drink Starbucks coffee. It doesn’t agree with me, and I feel off all day.”

Stewart: “Well, I don’t really like Starbucks either, but I dislike it less than Second Cup.”

pause…

Stewart: “Isn’t that a sad state of affairs, when you choose something you dislike over something you hate?”

Glenn: “Yeah.”

pause…

Glenn: “It’s just like voting in Canada!”

Fortunately on October 10, we have the opportunity to give Ontario another choice.

Vote YES for MMP. It’s the most strategic thing you can do this year!

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!

I just received notice of the schedule from Rogers Television for the taping of the all-candidates debates in York region for the upcoming provincial election, October 10.

The Newmarket-Aurora debate is set for Wednesday September 5, 10 AM, at the Newmarket Theatre.

I highly suspect, however, that this debate will be closed to the public and intended only for the television viewing audience. This will, of course, be boring as hell.

My recollection from the 2006 federal campaign was that this debate was the least fun of them all (with the possible exception of the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce Belinda & Lois Show). As a candidate, it’s much better to have an audience to work with, even if that audience is stacked with supporters for the other guys. You just have to set realistic goals, like if you can get the supporters of Belinda, Lois and Ed to laugh at your jokes then that’s a success! Ah, good times!

The Green Party has not yet nominated a candidate in Newmarket-Aurora, but I hear rumours in the wind.  A name should be announced soon.

Glenn Hubbers Ontario Votes!