Thanks, Rahul. I agree. I am from Scarborough and my individual submission to
the Ontario Citizens' Assembly advocated PR, particularly MMP.
Jeff
Quoting Rahul Mediratta <[log in to unmask]>:
> Hi Jeff,
>
> In response to your comments:
>
> "The evidence suggests that that someone is a social democratic party. Of
> course, to get them in office, a critical mass of citizens must support them
> and their policies rather than dreaming about a day when everyone will see
> the light. ...at the end of the day, we will have to vote for one party. So
> the question (at least at election time) becomes, which party will best
> support the SDOH?"
>
> A large body of evidence demonstrates that electoral systems with
> prorportional representation (PR) have greater numbers of women and
> minorities in House/Cabinet, have more minority/coalition governments that
> are less inclined to behave like majority-government dictatorships (eg.
> Canada's Cretien era), bear greater levels of accountability to the
> electorate, have greater levels of voter turnout, have greater levels of
> left-Cabinet share, and (most significantly) place reprentatives in
> government in proportion to their popular vote.
>
> Currently, Canada, the US, and the UK are the only three remaining countries
> in the developed world that still employ the single-member plurality (SMP)
> electoral system (aka first-past-the-post). In basic concept behind
> first-past-the-post is that the winner-takes-all. In a given district, four
> candidates may be running for a seat in the House of Commons. The breakdown
> of votes may be: candidate A 36%, candidate B 29%, candidate C 25%, and
> candidate D 20%. 100% of the seat would go to Candidate A, although their
> popular vote only represents 36% of the district. Essentially, candidates win
> seats with less than a majority, and parties win a majority of seats with
> less than a majority of votes.
>
>
>
> “The most egregious disparities occurred in
> the 1993 [Canadian] federal election when a Conservative vote counted for
> next to
> nothing. Even though they received more
> votes than the Bloc Quebecois and almost as many as Reform, they only won two
> seats while the Bloc and Reform got 54 and 53 seats respectively” (9. Beatty,
> 2001, p.51).
>
>
> Further, national/issue-based parties with little regional concentration
> (like the New Democratic and Green Parties) have no plausible chance of
> winning because their support is nationally spread and, consequently, their
> votes are 'wasted'.
>
>
>
> In place of first-past-the-post, countries are better off adapting a more
> PR-inclined electoral system such as the mixed-member plurality (MMP) which
> combines elements of both first-past-the-post (familiar to existing
> constituencies) and PR. In the MMP system, half the members of legislature
> are elected in single-member districts (first past the post). The remaining
> half of the seats in the legislature are allocated to each party in
> accordance to their appropriate share of seats as reflected by the popular
> vote (PR).
>
> The most recent example of PR is New Zealand which shifted away from
> first-past-the-post and adopted MMP through a nationa referendum in 1996.
>
> Currently, the province of Ontario has set up a Citizen's Assembly on
> Electoral Reform; consisting of randomly selected Ontario residents. The
> Assembly is analysing alternative electoral systems. On May 15th, the
> Assembly will put forth a recommendation on whether to change the current
> electoral system in Ontario. At current time, it appears that the Assembly
> is likely to recommend MMP. The Assembly's recommendation will then be put
> to a national referendum on October 10th, 2007. The referendum must obtain
> 60% of the province's support for change.
>
> Meaningful change is possible! And it's happening right now as we speak....
>
> Rahul Mediratta
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Jeff Denis <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 10:26:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [SDOH] NDP speech on social determinants of health
>
> Also check out the work of Walter Korpi, Gosta Esping-Andersen, Evelyne Huber
> and John D. Stephens.
>
> It would be great if the voters could force the other parties to act on the
> SDOH. But my question is how committed these other parties will be? Unless
> they
> truly undergo a "paradigm shift" and aren't just doing it for short-term
> political gain, I believe they will try to undermine the very policies they
> are
> being forced to implement - just like we've seen with Canadian health care
> over
> the past 20 years - "privatization by stealth." The federal Liberals failed
> to
> enforce the Canada Health Act and virtually ignored the Romanow Report. The
> provincial Conservatives laid off thousands of nurses and closed hospitals
> that
> shouldn't have been closed. And then they all complain that the public health
> care system just isn't working. Well, when you treat it like that, of course
> there are going to be problems! So I'd rather see someone in office who's
> truly
> committed to addressing the SDOH (and protecting and strengthening public
> health
> care). The evidence suggests that that someone is a social democratic party.
> Of
> course, to get them in office, a critical mass of citizens must support them
> and their policies rather than dreaming about a day when everyone will see
> the
> light. That doesn't mean we can't criticize and lobby ALL parties and try to
> convince them to do better. We definitely should do that. We also should
> debate
> with fellow citizens about health-promoting policies and mobilize our
> communities to get out and participate in political decision-making where
> possible (e.g., some of us made submissions to the non-partisan Ontario
> Citizens' Assembly on electoral reform). But, at the end of the day, we will
> have to vote for one party. So the question (at least at election time)
> becomes, which party will best support the SDOH?
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> Quoting Carlos Quinonez <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> > Thanks!
> >
> > CQ
> >
> > On 15-Mar-07, at 10:11 AM, Dennis Raphael wrote:
> >
> > > from Chapter 11 in Raphael, forthcoming
> > >
> > > Among developed nations, left cabinet share is the best predictor
> > > of child
> > > poverty rates. Rainwater and Smeeding found a striking relationship
> > > between
> > > left cabinet share in national governments from 1946 to the 1990s
> > > and child
> > > poverty rates (Rainwater & Smeeding, 2003). Among 14 nations
> > > between 1946
> > > and 1990, the presence of left parties in national government was
> > > strongly
> > > related to the probability that a child would not experience
> > > poverty. The
> > > correlation was a very strong .84. Sweden for example, had a 32% left
> > > cabinet share with 42-1 odds of escaping child poverty. Belgium has
> > > a 13%
> > > left cabinet share and a 18-1 odds of escaping child poverty.
> > > Canada has 0%
> > > left cabinet share and 7% odds of escaping child poverty.
> > > What exactly is left cabinet share? This term refers to having
> > > members of a social democratic or left party involved in running
> > > government
> > > by being in cabinet. Canada has never had a member of a left party in
> > > federal cabinet. Canada has had however, left influence during
> > > minority
> > > government situations. The welfare state institutions of medicare and
> > > public pensions were established during periods of minority
> > > government rule
> > > in which the NDP held the balance of power.
> > > Brady studied 16 western democracies for the period 1967 to
> > > 1997 and
> > > looked at the impact of left political institutions on a nation’s
> > > poverty
> > > rate (Brady, 2003). The findings showed that the power of left
> > > political
> > > institutions have a powerful effect on poverty reduction. It does so
> > > through processes of high voter turnout and support of left parties
> > > that
> > > support the welfare state. In addition, coordination of wage
> > > negotiation --
> > > a result of strong union density -- combines with welfare state
> > > policy to
> > > reduce poverty. While the welfare state is an essential determinant of
> > > poverty, left political institutions are critical to understanding
> > > comparative historical variation in both the strength of welfare
> > > states and
> > > level of poverty among the population.
> > > During the federal minority government in 2005, the NDP held the
> > > balance of power. During the Spring 2005 budget negotiations, the NDP
> > > offered its support for the minority Liberal government in return for
> > > significant added spending for childcare, social housing, and public
> > > transportation. This resulted in the suspension of planned tax
> > > reductions
> > > to the corporate sector and additional social spending. This is an
> > > example
> > > of left influence upon poverty-related public policy.
> > >
> > >
> > > Brady, D. (2003). The politics of poverty: Left political
> > > institutions, the
> > > welfare state, and poverty. Social Forces, 82, 557-588.
> > > Rainwater, L., & Smeeding, T. M. (2003). Poor Kids in a Rich Country:
> > > America's Children in Comparative Perspective. New York: Russell Sage
> > > Foundation.
> > >
> > > see also
> > >
> > > Alesina, A., & Glaeser, E. L. (2004). Fighting Poverty in the US and
> > > Europe: A World of Difference. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Carlos Quinonez <[log in to unmask]>@YORKU.CA> on 15/03/2007
> > > 09:39:49 AM
> > >
> > >
> > > Please respond to Social Determinants of Health <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent by: Social Determinants of Health <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > cc:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Subject: Re: [SDOH] NDP speech on social determinants of health
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Wow, I didn't know that the strength of, and support for, social
> > > democratic political parties in the single best predictor for these
> > > states of affairs. Can you provide some quick references please?
> > > That's surprising, but it makes sense in a way.
> > >
> > > And a minority government where a social democratic party hold the
> > > balance of power, hey, isn't that right now?!
> > >
> > > So I guess there's no better time for change!
> > >
> > > CQ
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 15-Mar-07, at 9:23 AM, Dennis Raphael wrote:
> > >
> > >> The single best predictor of low poverty rates, a developed welfare
> > >> state,
> > >> and income and social security of citizens in developed nations is
> > >> strength
> > >> of, and support for, social democratic political parties. Period.
> > >>
> > >> While we may consider the forces that lead to such support, and the
> > >> need
> > >> for popular education and communiy mobilization, that is the absolute
> > >> bottom line.
> > >>
> > >> The history of social advances in Canada, the UK, and yes, even the
> > >> USA,
> > >> provides ample evidence of this fact. Public pensions and medicare in
> > >> Canada only came about during Minority governments where a social
> > >> democratic party held the balance of power.
> > >>
> > >> Nuff said.
> > >>
> > >> On another note we have known Jack Layton for close to 25 years.
> > >> He is the
> > >> most dedicated, sincere, honest, and bright elected representative
> > >> we have
> > >> ever known. And his personal attributes have been backed up by solid
> > >> achievements. The Healthy City Movement was established in Toronto
> > >> while he
> > >> was chair of the Board of Health...
> > >> --------------------------------------------------
> > >> Layton helped spur the most innovative projects the city has seen
> > >> in a
> > >> generation:
> > >>
> > >> -Canada’s first municipally-sponsored AIDS strategy, which became a
> > >> nationwide model.
> > >> -Deep lakewater cooling of downtown office buildings, celebrated by
> > >> environmentalist Robert Kennedy Jr.
> > >> -The Healthy Cities model, adopted by the WHO and emulated in
> > >> cities around
> > >> the world.
> > >> -The White Ribbon Campaign, which became a global movement of men
> > >> speaking
> > >> out against violence against women.
> > >> -The first urban wind turbine in Canada, cooperatively owned – and
> > >> generating enough clean electricity to light 250 homes.
> > >> -The largest building renovation project in Canadian history, the
> > >> Better
> > >> Buildings Partnership, which paid for energy retrofits through future
> > >> energy savings.
> > >>
> > >> dr
> > >>
> > >> dr
> > >>
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