Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED: The problem as we witness every day is that regional, and personal equality, is thrown under the election bus

Sixty-one electoral districts?

City of Vancouver
The most fiercely contested territory in the October Election will be in 61 federal electoral districts. These will be the 18 in Montreal ... 25 in Toronto ... and 128 in Vancouver.

These sixty-one electoral districts make up 18% of the seats in the House of Commons, but are vital to any political party seeking a majority government.

Quebec has 8 cities outside Montreal which add another 30 electoral districts.
... 48 of 78 Quebec electoral district, or 61.5%, are urban.

Ontario has 16 cities outside Toronto which add another 67 electoral districts.
...92 of 121 Ontario electoral districts, or 55.4%, are urban.

British Columbia has 4 cities outside Vancouver which add another 10 electoral districts.
... 28 of 42 British Columbia electoral districts, or 66.7%, are urban

Toronto with CN Tower in foreground
The urban ridings in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia account for just over half (50.1%) of the seats in the Commons.  Which is why every political party will throw major resources, manpower, (cash if you are in government) and promises of more cash into those urban electoral districts to secure seats -- and a majority government.

The problem, as we witness every day, is that regional and personal equality is thrown under the election bus. Political parties will be driven to favour vote rich areas rather than treat all provinces, cities, towns and people equally and fairly.

One solution to the problem is to convert our three major metropolitan areas, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver into separate provinces with full provincial rights.

It sounds a bit strange, until we consider the effect on the amending formula in our constitution:
Montreal City

  • 7 of 10 provinces becomes 9 of 13 provinces representing 50% of the population, with many more possible combinations than we have at present.

  • the equalization formula would have to be changed, modernized and updated to accommodate 13 provinces; and

  • more per capita federal funding for education, health care and welfare would flow to other provinces and smaller centres.  

There is some food for thought.  


John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Okanagan Farmers Face NDP-Created Water Crisis ~~ BC Conservatives

Okanagan farmers are facing a water crisis as government-imposed restrictions threaten to kill their crops and destroy one of B.C.’s most important agricultural industries. In perhaps the most water-rich province in the country, our farmers have been left high and dry by the NDP government. For nine weeks, Okanagan and Shuswap farmers have proposed solutions, only to be met with NDP foot-dragging. Now forest fires have come to these regions as they are simultaneously reckoning with a water crisis that has been made worse through years of government inaction. Vernon-area farms have lost 70 percent of their water, while Kelowna and Summerland growers face severe restrictions. This situation is unacceptable and cannot continue. Ian Paton, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, said the NDP is once again forcing farmers to pay for its own failure to plan. "Farmers and ranchers must be listened to when decisions affecting their livelihoods are made, and under the NDP, they aren’t," said...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC Conservatives Point to Warning Signs in BC’s Economy

While Canada posted modest job gains in July, warning lights are still flashing in British Columbia. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, leaving too many first-time jobseekers shut out of the workforce. BC also lost 3,400 public administration jobs in July, likely as temporary Census positions ended. “BC's jobs divide remains stark. Unemployment is far higher in business-driven communities like Kelowna (9.3%) and Abbotsford-Mission (8.3%) than in Victoria (5.0%). Government should be focused on creating the conditions for private-sector investment and job growth,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and Shadow Minister for Economic Development. “We need an economy where young people can find work, businesses can hire, and every region has the opportunity to prosper.” This comes as BC faces five straight quarters where more businesses are closing than opening, an NDP cabinet rift over job-creating projects like Tilbury LNG, and fresh signs that even the province's to...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH: That, to me, sure seems to fit with narcissistic personality disorder – AND - a definite sense of self entitlement

I think most people are aware of why England’s Henry the 8th created the Church of England. It was out of a belief that he should be able to do anything he wanted. And what did he want?  It was a male heir that would follow him and, at his death, become the next King of England.   His marriage to Catherine had not produced one, so he demanded the Pope to allow him to divorce her.  The Pope of course refused so Henry created his own church, and declared himself the "Supreme Head of the Church of England", thereby allowing him to annul the marriage. In other words, he wanted his own way, and because he had the ultimate power in England, he forced his will over the church. Many (most?) would say people suffer like that from 'narcissistic personality disorder'. The Mayo Clinic says, “ People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are e...
5 comments
Read more

Labels

Show more