Eye weekly says "vote for real democracy in Ontario - Vote for MMP"

I was just getting ready to get to bed after a long day of changing the system and I saw a link to this editorial in Eye Weekly on the campaign site . Makes a hard day of work completely worth it!

So far, this seems to have the prize for best editorial about MMP. Other media outlets in Ontario, try and beat them though, please :)

Seriously, it's really good. It's a well-written analysis of MMP and comes down on the side of democracy. Enjoy some selections:

"For the first time many of us can remember, we're actually excited to get out and vote in a provincial election. Well, all right, we'll admit that it isn't any of the prospective governments that has us whistling to the polls. Once again, we're underwhelmed in that department."

It goes on to describe the election. I've got nothing to say on that for a good while:

... "this time we have the power to change the electoral system; to fix it.

The referendum on electoral reform allows us a clear choice between the warped current system and a more democratic system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) ...

MMP is a vastly superior system. Under MMP, voters cast two votes: one for a local representative, one for a party. The first vote elects members to the legislature under the same first-past-the-post system, and then the remaining one third of seats are alotted to ensure the seat distribution mirrors the popular vote for each party ...

Last week we used this space to outline some lingering concerns about MMP. Much conversation and further research have convinced us that those concerns were unfounded. The system is not as complicated as it is made out to be. Rather than producing legislative gridlock, the minority governments produced under MMP in other countries using the system have been highly functional coalitions. Wing-nut fringe parties are shut out by a 3 per cent threshold. And the “list candidates,” selected by the party, are preferable or no worse than the existing system that allows parties to appoint candidates and even sometimes premiers without consulting the electorate. Under MMP there will be no more false majorities. The legislature will represent the will of the electorate. That's democracy.

On Oct. 10, vote for real democracy in Ontario. Vote for MMP.