Star editorial on MMP

This is from the Star. The official Ontario government information website on MMP is here.

Get message out on referendum

Sep 25, 2007 04:30 AM
How much do Ontarians know about the Oct. 10 referendum on electoral reform, which could dramatically alter the way we elect MPPs?

Not much, it turns out. In fact, recent polls show nearly half of Ontarians know nothing at all about the referendum, which will ask voters to choose between our existing system and an alternative called "mixed-member proportional." And other people know a little about the issue, but likely not enough to make an informed choice.

With barely two weeks left before Ontarians vote on the possibility of fundamentally changing for all time how seats in the Legislature will be allocated among political parties, such widespread lack of awareness is deeply troubling. The referendum, which will be held at the same time as the provincial election, is far too important to have so many voters admit they do not understand what they will be voting for, and what the outcome will mean.

To that end, Elections Ontario, which is running a $6.8 million public information campaign on the referendum, needs to do a better job of getting the word out. It should immediately step up its efforts by blitzing the province with a major campaign of newspaper, television and radio advertisements. It also should boost its Internet presence to steer more people, especially young voters, toward its referendum information website, www.yourbigdecision.ca.

Voters, too, need to start paying attention to the choices so they are not in the dark when they mark their ballots in a few weeks' time.

The choices that voters face on Oct. 10 are starkly different.

One is Ontario's existing system, also known as "first-past-the-post." It awards each of the province's 107 ridings to the candidate with the most votes. The political party that wins the most ridings then forms the government. Each voter gets one vote. This system often allows parties to form majority governments even though they won less than 50 per cent of the popular vote across the province.

The other option is a form of proportional representation called "mixed-member proportional." It would distribute seats in an expanded 129-seat provincial legislature based roughly on each political party's share of the popular vote.

Under the proposed system, voters would cast two votes. The first would be for a "local member." A total of 90 geographic, or riding, seats would be determined using the "first-past-the-post" system.

Voters would also cast a second vote for the political party they prefer. The party they selected would not have to match the party of the riding candidate for whom they voted. This second vote would decide how many of the 39 "list members" – candidates selected by the parties – each party would be awarded to ensure their seat count in the Legislature more or less matches their overall share of popular votes.

Earlier this year, the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, a panel of 103 "ordinary citizens" struck by the Liberal government, recommended mixed-member proportional as a more democratic way of electing MPPs. But supporters of the current system fear it would create more problems than it would solve by entrenching permanent minority government and giving undue influence to fringe parties.

The government has set a high bar for change. At least 60 per cent of all voters, as well as 50 per cent of voters in 64 ridings, would have to vote for mixed-member proportional in the referendum.

Given how high the stakes are, voters must be prepared. That's why Elections Ontario needs to beef up its campaign. If that requires more money to buy advertising, then it should ask the government for it. This referendum is simply too important for people to cast their ballots without really knowing what it is all about