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Mayor John Tory's Toronto

I am disgusted. Ranked ballots were the one tiny light at the end of the tunnel of political dysfunction in Toronto. Looks like we can expect council to be a total mess for the foreseeable future. Shame on those who voted against ranked ballots, especially Fletcher, apparently a progressive in name only.
 
So council voted against it, but can Tory now go back to the province and ask them to introduce legislation to force the city to adopt it? Having council even vote on it to begin with seems like a huge conflict of interest. Something like ranked ballots should have either been decided by the province or decided by referendum.
 
If you read the star article (sigh), council could only introduce ranked ballots after public consultation and a referendum. Which means it positively cannot be implemented for 2018 and likely will never be.
 
why were they even having a 're-vote' on ranked ballots anyway? we had already voted to use them in future elections.

so frustrating!!! sooooo disappointing!!
A: Because of the legislative amendments and public consultation needed to implement a new voting system, it’s too late for next election, but Meslin is hopeful it could be in place by 2018.
http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2013/06/12/ranked-ballots-your-questions-answered.html

eta: ah, here's why...
This time, there was no chance for public input before rookie Councillor Justin Di Ciano proposed that Toronto reverse its stand. The motion, part of debate on proposed changes to the City of Toronto Act, passed 25-18, with the support of seven councillors who reversed their earlier support for ranked ballots.
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...il-reversal-on-ranked-ballots-criticized.html

Having barely beaten back Fordist Justin Di Ciano in the last election by fewer than 70 votes, Milczyn doesn't want to appear to be distancing himself too much from the mayor. (Nota bene: Di Ciano is a good friend of former Ford chief of staff Nick Kouvalis).
https://nowtoronto.com/news/karen-stintz-giant-killer/
 
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What a den of snakes — especially councillors Michelle Berardinetti, Gary Crawford, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mary Fragedakis, Cesar Palacio, Anthony Peruzza and Jaye Robinson. Just two years ago they voted with the majority of city council to reform the way we vote in city elections. On Thursday night, they quietly reversed field and overturned one of the truly commendable exercises in local democracy.
[...]
Di Ciano, backed by a foul faction of the new council, attempted to turn back the clock even before it is set.

He argues that the proposed voting procedure is too complex (Di Ciano must consider Oakland, Portland, San Francisco and Minneapolis residents smarter than his). Queen’s Park should ensure public consultations before allowing it, the motion says. (Wish Di Ciano took his own advice and sought such consultation before proposing a motion to reverse a council decision that came after public consultation.)

Worse, council voted to ask the province to abandon the option, period. In other words, not only does Toronto council not want it for its election, it doesn’t want it for any municipality in the province. Such arrogance.
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...ut-their-interests-ahead-of-voters-james.html
 
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What's with this country? We can't get rid of FPTP dinosaur faux democracy and we can't even get ranked ballots. I give up.

That's what happens when the law makers make laws to regulate themselves; defeats the idea that no one is above the law.
 
That's what happens when the law makers make laws to regulate themselves; defeats the idea that no one is above the law.
That's why you have different levels checking each other. The provincial government could just mandate ranked ballots and that would be it. Except they don't want to get involved and Toronto wants to pretend it is all grown up.
 
Great. Now Denzil Minnan-Wong can be a Councillor for an additional 20 years. He'll be in that position until retirement.
 
The biggest problem with democracy in this city is that the Mayor only gets one vote despite the fact that he is voted in by about 30 times as many people as the most popular councillor. He also has a city wide mandate and not just one that represents a few square blocks.
 
There is something between a Mayor as dictator, and what we have now. Mayor should have the power of roughly half of Council. He has power, but can still be defeated.

And the answer is yes. If you want democracy than you have to respect the voting intentions of the people.
 
The problem is that most voters are terribly informed and are susceptible to demagogues like the Ford brothers. It's not so simple as just respecting the voters' intentions. Most people probably have no idea what they're really voting for and base their decisions, not on research, but sound bites and rhetoric. Many people also just vote for whomever their friends or family vote for.
 

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