introducing myself
Hello Everyone,
I have just joined babble but I have enjoyed rabble for some time and have been an ongoing donor since the last federal NDP convention. I live in Alberta (Edmonton) and am still recovering from the provincial election results! We really need a communication framework to get our perspective out to the masses. Right now I am a big fan of Ed Finn on Edward L. Bernay, the father of spin and his book "Propaganda".
Welcome xnurse. Looking forward to reading you on babble, the number one place for intelligent (mostly) discussion in Canada. Your membership makes what happens here possible, your support is appreciated by all.
I grew up in Alberta, and love the place, but share your concern about its politics. Oil has a lot to do with it: petro-democracy mixes poorly with the agrarian variety, it seems.
quote:
Originally posted by xnurse:
[b]I live in Alberta (Edmonton) and am still recovering from the provincial election results![/b]
Welcome.
In the recent Spanish election the turnout "dropped" from 75.66% to 75.32%. What was your voter turnout?
I haven't done a spreadsheet of your provincial results, but in the last federal election in metropolitan Edmonton (which has enough people for 9 ridings, so let's include Wetaskiwin) the NDP got 73,540 votes.
That's enough for 1.38 of those 9 MPs if you had[url=http://www.fairvote.ca/en/about_fairvoting] a fair voting system.[/url] Whether it was STV, regional open-list MMP, or "near-winner" (no-list) MMP, Linda Duncan would be an MP today. And likely a second NDP MP too, since a fair voting system where every vote counts would give those who now stay home (or cast "strategic votes") a reason to come out and vote NDP. See that Spanish turnout again.
Your silver lining is you live in one of the very few provinces where the provincial Liberals support convening a Citizens' Assembly to consider holding a referendum on a fair voting system. Count your blessings, and your Liberal friends.