AlolanVulpix

joined 3 years ago
MODERATOR OF
[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

only to become what amounts to a political practical joke

Why? Because Pedneault decided to stick to principles rather than capitulate and join a big tent party?

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago

Conservative logic demands perfection from all other parties except their own, in which case, anything goes.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes, FPTP forces strategic voting - but we don't have to accept this broken system! Our electoral system has changed before and can change again.

Every time we resign ourselves to strategic voting, we perpetuate the very system that forces us to vote strategically. It's a vicious cycle that only proportional representation can break.

Want a democracy where your vote actually counts? Join us: simple things you can do to grow the proportional representation movement.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago

I get it - strategic voting feels necessary under our current system. But this cycle of "holding our noses" every election is exactly what FPTP is designed to create.

With proportional representation, you could vote for who you actually believe in without fear of "wasting" your vote. Every vote would count toward representation - no more impossible choices.

If you're tired of this broken cycle, check out ways to grow the proportional representation movement so we can build a democracy where strategic voting becomes obsolete.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago

That's certainly a creative thought! While I appreciate the outside-the-box thinking, I think such an approach might actually undermine the fundamental principles that electoral reform advocates are fighting for.

The current ballot protest is designed to highlight how our FPTP system fails to provide meaningful representation. Creating deliberate confusion with identical names shifts from highlighting systemic problems to potentially interfering with voters' ability to express their actual preferences.

The goal of proportional representation isn't to break the current system through loopholes, but to build a better one where every vote genuinely counts. Credibility matters in this movement - we need to demonstrate that we're advocating for a more fair and functional democracy, not just finding creative ways to obstruct the current one.

That said, I do appreciate the energy behind finding ways to make electoral reform impossible to ignore! If you're looking for effective ways to advance this cause, check out Simple things you can do right now to grow the proportional representation movement. There are many constructive actions that can help us build momentum toward real change.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago

I completely agree with your assessment. This ballot protest is indeed a powerful yet peaceful way to highlight the fundamental flaws in our electoral system.

Your preference for proportional representation over ranked ballots is well-founded. While ranked ballots (IRV) might seem like an improvement, they're still a winner-take-all system that wastes votes. Under Single Transferable Vote (STV), you can actually have both ranked ballots AND proportional representation!

If you're looking to help advance the PR movement, check out: Simple things you can do right now, to grow the proportional representation movement

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago

You're absolutely right - electoral reform truly is a gift to future generations. What we're seeing with the Longest Ballot Committee is just one creative expression of the deep frustration many Canadians feel with our current system.

The beauty of proportional representation is that it solves a fundamental democratic problem: in our current system, millions of perfectly valid ballots have zero effect on election outcomes. In the 2022 Ontario election alone, about 2.5 million votes (54% of those cast) elected nobody at all.

Democracy requires that every vote counts and affects outcomes. Anything less undermines the legitimacy of our government.

If you'd like to help grow the PR movement beyond ballot protests, check out this link: Simple things you can do right now, to grow the proportional representation movement - so we never have to vote for the lesser of evils, split the vote, or vote strategically again.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 9 points 7 months ago

Oh, the timing of this survey couldn't be more perfect with the election just around the corner! Wait until voters find out that Poilievre's "anti-elite" Conservatives have stacked their national council with corporate lobbyists. Nearly half of their governing body are lobbyists for oil, pharma, real estate, and anti-union companies.

The irony is thick when the same Pierre Poilievre who once said "politics should not be a lifelong career" surrounds himself with career corporate influence-peddlers. Nothing says "championing the common people" quite like having lobbyists for GlaxoSmithKline and Tourmaline Oil making key party decisions!

With the April 28th election approaching, this 84% figure should be a wake-up call. Voters deserve to know who's really pulling the strings behind each party's platform. The contrast between Poilievre's populist rhetoric about defending "ordinary people" against "gatekeepers" and the actual composition of his party's leadership is almost comically stark.

And let's not forget Premier Smith apparently asking US officials to delay tariffs on Poilievre's behalf - talk about inviting foreign interference while claiming to stand for Canadian sovereignty!

Democracy requires transparency about who influences our politicians. This survey from Democracy Watch shows Canadians understand this - now we just need our political parties (and their lobbyist friends) to catch up.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Axe the Tax!

And get a weak, insecure, and underfunded CRA…

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Save the CBC 🇨🇦✌️ on Bluesky

Pierre Poilievre once said politicians shouldn’t stay in office for life. That was 1999. It’s 2025—he’s still here, with the same angry rhetoric and no results. Now he wants to kill public media and silence journalists. What’s he so afraid of? #SaveTheCBC #CdnPoli #Canada

collapsed inline media"Politics should not be a lifelong career, and elected officials should not be allowed to fix themselves in the halls of power of a nation... Therefore, I would institute a limit of two terms for members of Parliament" - Pierre Poilievre 1990

"Politics should not be a lifelong career, and elected officials should not be allowed to fix themselves in the halls of power of a nation... Therefore, I would institute a limit of two terms for members of Parliament" - Pierre Poilievre 1990

Link to original post.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 0 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Well, they didn’t say you’re not Canadian

But saying "a Canadian would know that" is necessarily insinuating that they are not Canadian for not knowing a fact. Which regardless of if the person did know the fact, is a ridiculous criterion to determine if someone is Canadian.

Furthermore, to suggest that Trudeau's views aren't synonymous with the Liberal party, ignores a big part of reality. That the party leaders wield incredible amounts of influence within their parties. If anything, party leaders are perhaps the physical embodiment of a party.

[–] AlolanVulpix@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You are by attacking the source when you have no other alternative for what is in the article

lmao. what ever shall we do if the Ottawa Citizen didn't uniquely create this article? There is no known alternative for this article, so I suppose it's of utmost critical value?

This point is irrelevant, because if I can find an article from a better source, then the point is moot. And besides, you are insinuating that the Ottawa Citizen provides a service that is unique, and cannot be replicated, which is untrue.

Regardless of who owns the thing, it is still headquartered on Canadian soil, employing Canadians, and providing information that “real” Canadian sources aren’t.

  1. By going to the site, you are providing it clout that it is undeserving of. And when Canadian media is struggling, that's not a good thing.
  2. actually there is a conflict of interest, when the ownership is American. These kinds of media output articles more favourable to their owners, because that is literally their business model.
  3. Is it really headquartered on Canadian soil, employing Canadians, and providing real information? I'd rather take my chances with real Canadian owned and operated media.

So give me another source, or shut up about it.

Nah. You shut up about it.

 

Cult MTL on Bluesky

As the Conservatives blow a 30-point lead in the polls, we remind you that Canada’s mainstream media still chooses not to fact-check Pierre Poilievre.

“Poilievre has benefitted immensely from legacy media’s inability to challenge conservative bullies.”

 

Canadian Media Sources Guide

Introduction

"When local news disappears, misinformation thrives." - The Walrus

This guide is maintained by a single person and may contain errors. Please suggest corrections for any fact-based news sources that should be included.

Inclusion Criteria

Media to Avoid 🚫

Postmedia Network

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. is an American-owned Canadian-based media conglomerate that owns:

  • Canada.com
  • National Post
  • Financial Post
  • Calgary Herald
  • Edmonton Journal
  • Telegraph-Journal
  • The London Free Press
  • The Brantford Expositor
  • The Gazette
  • Ottawa Citizen
  • Sudbury Star
  • Windsor Star
  • Saskatoon StarPhoenix
  • Regina Leader-Post
  • Vancouver Sun

Sun Media

  • Calgary Sun
  • Edmonton Sun
  • Ottawa Sun
  • Toronto Sun
  • Winnipeg Sun
  • Owen Sound Sun Times

Saltwire Network

  • The Chronicle Herald
  • Cape Breton Post
  • The Telegram
  • The Guardian (Charlottetown)

Canadian Alternatives 🇨🇦

Français ⚜️

Les médias Propriété Type de propriété Contribution
Radio Canada Patrimoine canadien (Gouvernement du Canada) Gouvernement TOU.TV L'EXTRA
TFO Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l'Ontario TFO (Gouvernement du Ontario) Gouvernement Don
Télé-Québec Société de télédiffusion du Québec (Gouvernement du Québec) Gouvernement -
La Presse La Presse Inc. À but non lucratif, organisations journalistiques enregistrées Don, CanaDon
L'Acadie Nouvelle Acadie Nouvelle ltée. À but non lucratif Abonnement
Coop Media NB NB Media Co-op À but non lucratif Don
Pivot Quebec Coop de solidarité Pivot À but non lucratif Don

#### À but lucratif

Les médias Propriété Type de propriété Contribution
Le Devoir Le Devoir Inc. Organisations journalistiques enregistrées Don

English 🦄

Non-profit and Government Media

Media Ownership Ownership type Donate
CBC News Canadian Heritage (Government of Canada) Government CBC Gem Premium, CBC Shop
TVO The Ontario Education Communications Authority (Government of Ontario) Government Donate
APTN News APTN Government Contribute
Investigative Journalism Foundation Investigative Journalism Foundation Non-profit Subscribe, IJF Shop
PressProgress Broadbent Institute Non-profit Membership
Rabble.ca Self-owned Non-profit Donate
Halifax Examiner Self-owned Non-profit Subscribe, Donate
The Walrus The Walrus Foundation Non-profit, registered charity Donate
The Narwhal The Narwhal News Society Non-profit, Registered journalism organization Donate, CanadaHelps
Chek News Employee-owned Non-profit Chekplus
The Tyee Appears to be self-owned Non-profit, Registered Journalism Organization (pending) Donate
The Breach Breach Media Canada Non-profit Donate
The Grind Arts and Labour Media Inc. Non-profit Membership
Briarpatch Briarpatch Inc. Non-profit Donate
West End Phoenix West End Phoenix Non-profit Subscribe
The Local The Local TO Publishing Non-profit, Registered Journalism Organization Donate
The Maple The Maple Non-profit Membership
Unrigged News Collaboration between non-profit outlets Non-profit -
Prince Albert Daily Herald Employee-owned & operated Non-profit Subscription
NB Media Co-op NB Media Co-op Non-profit Donate
The Line unincorporated unincorporated -

#### For-profit Media

Media Ownership Ownership type Donate/Subscribe
Canada's National Observer Observer Media Group For-profit Donate, Subscribe
The Canadian Press News The Globe and Mail, Torstar For-profit -
The Globe and Mail The Woodbridge Company For-profit Subscribe
Toronto Star Torstar For-profit Subscribe
Reuters Thompson family For-profit Subscribe
Global News Corus Entertainment For-profit -
Winnipeg Free Press FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership For-profit Donate
Canadaland Appears to be self-owned Appears to be for-profit Patreon, Canadaland store
Cult MTL Cult MTL Media Inc. For-profit, Local Journalism Initiative recipient Donate via Stripe
Spacing Spacing Media For-profit Store

Additional Resources

Political Commentary

News Aggregator

Organizations Countering Dark Money

Organization Social Media
Democracy Watch YouTube
The Investigative Journalism Foundation -
Council of Canadians YouTube
Protecting Canada YouTube
Canadians for Tax Fairness -
PressProgress YouTube
Fair Vote Canada YouTube
Bluesky Starter Pack: Ontario journalists that cover work & wage issues -

Critical Thinking Resources

Organization Social Media
Centre for Inquiry Canada YouTube
Humanist Canada YouTube

Honourable mention: The Conversation Canada, Australian owned, with a Canadian newsroom.


Image is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.


Also see: We must keep advocating for proportional representation. If PR dies, so does Canadian democracy as we know it. FPTP is already pushing us toward a two-party system, just like the USA.

 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/39924990

John Michael McGrath on Bluesky

INBOX: the Supreme Court of Canada will next Friday release its judgement in the case of Ontario v. Working Families, on whether Ford govt's campaign finance rules and the notwithstanding clause was properly invoked.


Attorney General of Ontario v. Working Families Coalition (Canada) Inc., et al.

Supreme Court of Canada case number: 40725.

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

This case concerns the third party spending limits most recently added to the Election Finances Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.7 (“EFA”), in 2021, and whether they infringe the informational component of the right to vote (i.e., a citizen’s right to exercise their vote in an informed manner), which is protected by s. 3 of the Charter.

 

John Michael McGrath on Bluesky

INBOX: the Supreme Court of Canada will next Friday release its judgement in the case of Ontario v. Working Families, on whether Ford govt's campaign finance rules and the notwithstanding clause was properly invoked.


Attorney General of Ontario v. Working Families Coalition (Canada) Inc., et al.

Supreme Court of Canada case number: 40725.

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

This case concerns the third party spending limits most recently added to the Election Finances Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.7 (“EFA”), in 2021, and whether they infringe the informational component of the right to vote (i.e., a citizen’s right to exercise their vote in an informed manner), which is protected by s. 3 of the Charter.

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