It's not as though Tieleman actually believes this stuff about STV being bad for women. It's Ireland's national political culture that's bad for women. But he knows STV also elected women as 38 percent of Ireland's Euro MPs.

Dublin's City Council, elected on party labels by STV, has 29 percent women. (The London Assembly elected by MMP has 32 percent women.) And the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory, elected by STV, is 41 percent women.

No, these are just debating points, not real reasons.

Perhaps his real reason is that winning an NDP nomination in a strong NDP seat is no longer the key to the old boys' paradise. You actually have to compete with other NDP candidates. Even with women.

A new young woman might actually beat one of Bill's old friends.

Unless he can convince enough voters that competition is bad for women. That was indeed the conventional wisdom in Europe in the 1950s, and 60s, and -- until Sweden changed to an open-list system and found it actually HELPED women. Turns out voters in Sweden, like voters in Canada, want to elect more women. Why not let them?