Roundup: Postcards for values

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Yesterday the National Post reported that the government is planning on sending a postcard to every household in the nation and asking them to head to a website to answer questions about their democratic values. Immediately the Twitter-verse went into full-snark mode, wondering why the government would do this rather than hold a referendum, and wondering at the cost of such an exercise, but there were a few phrases that struck me as I read it, and that goes back to the fact that they’re asking Canadians what values they’re looking for in their voting system as opposed to asking them to choose a system. Why does that matter? Because it basically allows the government to justify whatever decision they end up making by selling it as living up to the greatest number of the “values” they got feedback on. And when the committee report comes back a deadlock with several dissenting reports (as it inevitably will), the government will be further empowered to finally suffocate the whole ill-fated enterprise and list all of the ways the current system conforms to the majority of the “values” that they polled Canadians on, and lo, we shall never speak of this again. Or something like that.

Meanwhile, PEI had their plebiscite on electoral reform and with a stunningly low voter turnout of 36 percent even with several days of voting, lowering the age to 16, and giving people a myriad of options to vote including online, it came down to several preferential rounds where Mixed-Member Proportional won a very narrow 52 percent win. This again translated into two very different sets of reactions – elation from the PR crowd for whom this validates their crusading on the topic, never mind that the mandate for said system is really, really weak (between the low turnout and the fact that it took several drop-off rounds to get that bare majority vote), or the fact that the plebiscite was by definition non-binding and there is more than enough opportunity for the government to get out of it (and really, I’m not sure that such a low vote is mandate enough to make such an important change). The other reaction was a sense of somewhat smugness from proponents of a referendum on electoral reform at the federal level, basically telling their opponents (who insist that such a referendum would favour the status quo) that they’re wrong. But if you think about it, such a low turnout and the fact that MMP barely squeaked past may indeed be an indication that there was more of a desire for the status quo than is being acknowledged. Nevertheless, both groups are going to be insufferable for days to come.

https://twitter.com/katemckenna8/status/795799811345842176

Good reads:

  • In Vancouver, the PM announced a new “coastal strategy” which people seem to think is a signal that he’s about to approve at least one pipleline to the West Coast.
  • Stakeholder groups are asking the government to rethink their promise to change parental leave to up to 18 months.
  • The Federal Court has decided not to grant an injunction to halt citizenship revocations without a hearing.
  • The chairman of Apotex has pulled out of that Bill Morneau fundraiser, possibly because of all the bizarre conspiracy theorizing around it.
  • The new electronic travel authorizations for people entering Canada will allow for a gender-neutral option to be selected.
  • The CRTC wants phone companies to do a better job of blocking spam callers that use their networks.
  • Senator Wallace’s motion at the Senate Internal Economy Committee to stop garnishing Senator Duffy’s wages failed, and may go to the full Senate.
  • Kellie Leitch slammed Lisa Raitt as being aligned with “left-wing media” for opposing her Canadian values test. No, seriously.
  • A Montreal businessman is mulling a leadership run, for what it’s worth.
  • Here’s your guide to tomorrow’s Conservative leadership debate in Saskatoon.
  • Andrew MacDougall makes the case to get the PM a new plane. Because seriously.
  • Kady O’Malley expounds upon why it’s a terrible idea to have the Ethics Commissioner police a PM’s rules for his cabinet ministers.
  • Stephen Gordon cautions the Liberals against the “lobster trap” of deficit-financed infrastructure projects that could lead to permanent deficits.
  • Paul Wells looks at how Chrystia Freeland made CETA happen.

Odds and ends:

Here’s a great profile of Lt-Gen. Christine Whitecross as she prepares to head up the NATO Defence College.