Posts Tagged ‘House of Commons’

SHOULD QUEBEC GET MORE SEATS?

October 19, 2011

It’s that time again when the number of seats in the  Commons must be changed to reflect the population changes. Ontario will increase by 13 seats, down by five from what it was supposed to have.  British Columbia will receive five more seats, down from its original allotment of seven.  Alberta will increase its count to six.  Quebec will increase its count by two seats to keep its numbers in the House from dropping below its 23 per cent share of the population.

With its delayed and altered seat distribution bill, the conservative government appears to be struggling with how to reward the growing and more dynamic areas without alienating Quebeckers. The tensions thus produced could escalate if Quebec fails to win one of the two enormous shipbuilding contracts that could be announced as early as today.

Should Quebec get more seats?

What do you think?

Posted in Politics  |  Tags: ,  |  9 Comments »

SHOULD QUEBEC HAVE MORE SEATS IN OTTAWA?

September 9, 2011

Numbers of seats in Parliament are related to a province’s population.  Following that principle three provinces – Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta – will receive more seats.  So to accomodate them the Harper government is planning to increase the number of seats in the Commons from 308 to 338.

This creates an anamoly.  It means that Quebec would have a lesser share of Commons seats (22.1 per cent)  than its share of the Canadian population (23.1 per cent)/  Opposition parties in the Commons are generally favourable to the idea of giving Quebec special dispensation in the allocation of Commons seats.

An NDP proposal says Quebec’s representation should  be fixed at 24.4 per cent of Commons seats. The Bloc will go along with that and the Liberals are leaning that way.

This proposal for a few extra Quebec seats makes a lot of sense.  It would not create a precedent and would not require a constitutional amendment.

Should Quebec have more seats in Ottawa?

What do you think?

Posted in Uncategorized  |  Tags: ,  |  8 Comments »

SHOULD ELIZABETH MAY BE EXCLUDED?

April 1, 2011

The television consortium that runs the national debates in this election have excluded the Green leader, Elizabeth May from participating.  Even though May is a national leader who is running candidates all over the country.  Ironically, Gilles Duceppe is in the debates even though the Bloc is only running candidates  in Quebec.  Is this fair?

The argument seems to be May cannot participate because the Greens don’t have a seat in the House of Commons. Yet in the last election the Greens piled up nealy a million votes.  Should these people not have a voice in the debates?

Yet a spokesman for the Television consortium says “our decision {on Elizabeth May] is final and the decision is unanimous.  It will not be reconsidered.”

So there!!!

Should Elizabeth May be excluded from the election debates?

What do you think?

Posted in Politics  |  Tags: , , , ,  |  3 Comments »

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