Thursday, January 14, 2016

Worth Reading - January 14, 2016


Andrew Coyne has begun a series of columns dedicated to the topic of electoral reform. The first makes clear that we need common understandings of the challenges facing Canadians.  The second, so far, looks at the peculiar problems of first-past-the-post

From the Toronto Star, an editorial in support of democratic reform, rather than simply just electoral reform. 

For the sake of balance, here is an article by a person who supports first-past-the-post. Note, the writer is English, not Canadian.

Kady O'Malley proposes to improve democracy in the House of Commons members should be allow more private/secret votes. While an intriguing notion it does interfere with the ability of the public to hold their representatives to account.

David Brooks has some unkind words for the potential Republican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz. The description of Cruz's rhetoric reminds me of the earlier conversation of Trump's flirtation with the far-right.

The Agenda is one of the best current affairs programs out there, and I shame myself by not watching it nearly as often as I should. They have a new look and format to appeal to the modern audience. 

Laura Payton in Maclean's discusses the issues confronting gender parity in Ottawa

An interesting piece from Strong Towns about the global middle class


Finally, Deborah Drever, the NDP MLA who was kicked out of her party shortly after the election for comments on social media offers an interview to the Calgary Herald on her experiences. There definitely seems more to this story than initially reported. 

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