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Elections aren't easy
As a policy wonk, I have been enjoying the discussions about reforming our democracy by ditching first past the post voting.
Kudos to Justin Trudeau for coming up with, at the very least, a starting point for the discussion (Trudeau's Big Idea And The Art Of Compromise – June 19).
But are the more radical proposals (i.e. proportional representation) really necessary?
Loosening party discipline would be a more modest starting point. If MPs were free to vote as their constituents want, rather than how the party whip tells them to, there might be more informal coalitions. This should have the added benefit of improving cross-party collaboration (and, one hopes, decorum).
The rise of political parties and the centralized power of the PMO (something Pierre Trudeau started and Stephen Harper seems to have perfected) are bigger threats to democracy.
Bruce Dust, London, Ont.
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Prof. Andrew Stark is right: Both first past the post and proportional representation have their up- and downsides.
Pure PR can lead to instability and/or coalitions which can never make a controversial decision. Past commissions looking into electoral reform in Canada have recommended a variance of the blended system used in Germany, where half the seats are elected in electoral districts by first past the post, and the other half from party lists using PR.
This arrangement reduces the representational distortions of first past the post by half, and the instability/fragmentation problems of PR considerably. It has resulted in stable post-Second World War government.
This mixed system, with different proportional allocations between FPP and PR seats, has been adopted by many democracies since; a two-thirds/one-third allocation was recommended for Canada by the last reform commission.
Mixed systems are probably superior to preferential ballot or run-off systems, which are cumbersome and have dynamics producing their own distortions (similar in that the voter ranks, in the former on one ballot, in the latter in several votes).
One thing is for sure.
Elections are not simple.
Manuel Mertin, Calgary
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We could do worse than flattering the Australians by largely imitating their system.
Good grief, if we read their material rather than listening to an oral presentation, we wouldn't even need an interpreter.
Hal C. Hartmann, West Vancouver
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China's reach
Re China Replies (June 19): Yang Yundong, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada, writes in a letter to the editor: "I totally disagree that China 'is a police state' or 'terrorizes and tortures political foes, religious groups and ethnic minorities.' China … protects the legitimate rights and interests of all its citizens."
Tell it to the Tibetans (or Uighurs, or Falun Gong, or …).
Robert de Bruin, Toronto
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The Globe's article, The Making Of Michael Chan (June 17), states that "most of the Chinese-language press in Canada tilts toward Beijing." It goes on to characterize Toronto's market-leading edition of Sing Tao Daily as the best known example of this pro-China assertion.
While Sing Tao Daily cannot speak on behalf of the other Chinese-language news organizations, we strongly disagree with this characterization of our newspaper. Sing Tao Daily operates as an independent media company in Canada.
Louis Cheng, president, Sing Tao Daily Ltd.
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Deficits explored
Two headlines to consider: Ontario Is Not The Rust Belt, Yet It Keeps Racking Up Deficits; Greece Warns Of Chaos If Debt Talks Fail (both in Report on Business, June 18).
Quebec's government has recognized the problem and taken steps to deal with it, but Ontario's Liberals are still whistling past the graveyard. How close to Greece's situation do they need to come before they get it?
Douglas Campbell, Vancouver
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In 2014-15, Ontario beat its deficit target by $1.6-billion. We have held program spending growth to an average of 1.5 per cent, below the rate of inflation, and have become the top jurisdiction for foreign direct investment in North America.
Canada's leading economists are forecasting that Ontario's economy will be among the growth leaders for Canada. According to a recent Bank of Montreal report, Ontario's economic growth is expected to "top the national average for the first time in 13 years" at 2.5 per cent.
In the past three months, Ontario's manufacturing sector has gained nearly 18,000 net new jobs. Since 2010, auto assembly and parts companies have invested more than $7.6-billion here.
Ontario is also one of the top information and communications technology jurisdictions – second in North America in the number of ICT establishments.
While Ontario remains on track for a balanced budget by 2017-18, there needs to be a balance between reducing deficits and providing services. Comparing the economic activity and budgets of a province to a U.S. state is misleading: The two have vastly different responsibilities.
Ontario provides a universal health-care system at a cost of $50.8-billion, roughly comparable to the entire operating budget of Michigan. We have done this while consistently achieving the lowest program spending per capita among all provinces.
Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister of Finance
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Massacre, again
Re An Old Wound Reopened (June 19): At what point do Americans recognize there is a direct relationship between their mind-numbing murder statistics and the absence of meaningful control on individual gun ownership? The premise that unfettered gun ownership and individual liberty are two sides of the same coin is patently false.
America has so many wonderful qualities, but the addiction to, and obsession with, guns is not one of them.
Although President Barack Obama once again raised this issue after the Charleston massacre, I have little faith the apologists for gun manufacturers in Congress will demonstrate the courage to act on gun control.
Choosing to continue to permit such carnage is mind-boggling.
Frank Malone, Aurora, Ont.
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Hate to say it
Re LeBron James Is Selfish, Obsessed, Hateful – And Truly, Magnificently Great (Sports, June 19): Cathal Kelly's assertion that "the core of any truly great athlete is hate" is so ludicrous one has to sing out: "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?"
Wither Cal Ripken. So long, Muhammad Ali.
Howzat Bill Russell. Ted Williams. Not to mention Kerri Strug. Bruce Matthews. Martina Navratilova. Steve Yzerman. Shun Fujimoto. Jackie Robinson. Christine Sinclair. Steve Nash. "A nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
David Ferry, Toronto