PR: My Idea
Another small opposition in the house, but at least it is workable. Pat Binns has to play the other side - I look forward to that. What is it with this province and landslides?
Ok, here is my simple idea to reform the opposition: No list candidates; Just three ad-hoc seats added to the 27 district seats:
One third-place-party seat, to enhance the opposition.
If the third place party has no elected candidates, then an ad-hoc seat in the house goes to the candidate who got the most votes in any district. In this election that would be Jamie Larkin of district 19 for the third place Green Party. Also, only if the majority wins by more than three seats, so it wouldn't undo a slim majority lead.
Two second-place-party ad-hoc seats, so they are never shut out of the house. This would guarantee a minimum opposition so the house would function. Again, it would be the two candidates in the second place party who won the most votes in their district. In this election the second place party won five seats, so there would be no need for the two ad-hoc seats. Only if they where shut out or won a single district (then one ad-hoc seat added).
The ad-hoc seats would only go to candidates who ran for a seat, not list candidates.
It guarantees one seat for the third place party, and two seats for the second place party.
No list candidates.
Two opposition parties.
Now, what to call it...
Kenny
2 Comments:
A decent proposal, certainly a far cry from full PR, but it would mitigate some of the effects of our winner takes all system.
Something more would need to be done, long term, to deter the type of 'make my vote count by voting for the leading party' attitude many Islanders have with our current system.
It takes a step towards proportional representation and would eliminate the chance of one person opposition or zero opposition. It is a simple idea and avoids the list candidate issue. That is what killed the Yes vote in the plebiscite, the list candidates and the complexity of the d'Hondt formula.
In my humble opinion.
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