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14 New Brunswick NDP Candidates Defect to the Green Party.

How would it be a losing battle when he had a majority and democratic reform at the time had strong majoritarian support?

Your rationalizations don't stick; this was done for crass, self-serving reasons of political expedience. His committee didn't give him the answers he wanted so he flipped the table and walked away.

Because it would probably have had to go to referendum like it did in BC and we know how referendums have gone.
 
Because it would probably have had to go to referendum like it did in BC.

Not at all, despite incessant Conservative whining to the contrary, obviously sourced from them having glimpsed the imminent death of their Federal political relevance in an electoral system that didn't constantly menace a split of the left vote.

And even if it did need to, which it didn't, the popular support was certainly there.
 
Not at all, despite incessant Conservative whining to the contrary, obviously sourced from them having glimpsed the imminent death of their Federal political relevance in an electoral system that didn't constantly menace a split of the left vote.

And even if it did need to, which it didn't, the popular support was certainly there.

I am sure it would require a constitution change so it would go to referendum. I doubt that very much, BC proved it does not at least. It would also vary largely by what system is chosen. Alternative vote within the current riding structure maybe, party list I guarantee would be opposed by almost everyone. The Maritimes, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba probably would not like most options as they benefit from the current system. Especially Quebec would oppose it.
 
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I doubt that very much, BC proved it does not at least. It would also vary largely by what system is chosen. The Maritimes, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba probably would not like most options as they benefit from the current system.

Bottom line is this:

#1: A referendum wasn't required; the Conservatives were the only ones screaming for it because it meant a very real existential crisis for them at the federal level were FPTP to be eliminated, and a referendum would have at least given them and their big money donors one final chance to shoot down democratic reform (and who gives a **** about them), dropping advertising dollars like there was no tomorrow, because for them, there may well have been politically.

#2: The facts are that nationwide polling at the time strongly suggested it would have passed.
 
Bottom line is this:

#1: A referendum wasn't required; the Conservatives were the only ones screaming for it because it meant a very real existential crisis for them at the federal level were FPTP to be eliminated, and a referendum would have at least given them and their big money donors one final chance to shoot down democratic reform (and who gives a **** about them), dropping advertising dollars like there was no tomorrow, because for them, there may well have been politically.

#2: The facts are that nationwide polling at the time strongly suggested it would have passed.

I am pretty sure it would require a Constitution change so referendum. What specific system? You cannot just pass legislation for proportional representation, you have to have a method and there are many and some would be very much hated. Party list would not fly, I guarantee it, you would have opposition from every province that is not Ontario. Alternative vote, maybe.
 
I am pretty sure it would require a Constitution change so referendum. What specific system? You cannot just pass legislation for proportional representation, you have to have a method and there are many and some would be very much hated. Party list would not fly, I guarantee it, you would have opposition from every province that is not Ontario. Alternative vote, maybe.

There was no legal requirement for a referendum; if such a hard, clear cut legal argument existed, the Conservatives would have been all over it, but there wasn't, and so they resorted to various shades of blather about how it's only appropriate that such a momentous, sweeping change require a referendum, not arguments predicated on statutory requirements.

As to the exact system to be implemented, obviously the one Trudeau's own committee proposed.

Alternative/run off vote is the outcome Trudeau was hoping for (as it would benefit Liberals the most by far, being as they typically are the second choice of most voters) but ultimately didn't get which is why he flipped the table.
 
There was no legal requirement for a referendum; if such a hard, clear cut legal argument existed, the Conservatives would have been all over it, but there wasn't, and so they resorted to various shades of blather about how it's only appropriate that such a momentous, sweeping change require a referendum, not arguments predicated on statutory requirements.

As to the exact system to be implemented, obviously the one Trudeau's own committee proposed.

Alternative/run off vote is the outcome Trudeau was hoping for (as it would benefit Liberals the most by far, being as they typically are the second choice of most voters) but ultimately didn't get which is why he flipped the table.

Well like I said anything than alternative voting would not be acceptable to the provinces, especially Quebec and the prairie provinces. You cannot just ignore the dominance of regionalism in Canada.
 
Well like I said anything than alternative voting would not be acceptable to the provinces, especially Quebec and the prairie provinces. You cannot just ignore the dominance of regionalism in Canada.

Polling disagreed with you; ATV was not the only nationally accepted alternative system, and again even if it were, which it was not, a referendum wasn't necessary.
 
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