Tag Archives: fixed date elections

Unnecessary early elections caused by the political monarch (PM) in Japan and Israel. Japan’s last election was in December 2012 and for Israel the last election was January of 2013.

Instead have a fix date for elections just like we have for our municipalities and separate the vote for the executive and legislature. Again we do this for our municipalities it’s time to run our provincial and federal systems the same way.

A set election day for all elections in Canada say the first Monday of October of each year. In 2015 and every four years after you have the Federal elections. In 2017 and every four years after you have the elections for the provincial governments. In even numbered years you would have municipal elections. All occurring on the set election day.

Separate votes for the executive and the legislative just like we have separate votes for a mayor and the municipal council. This means getting rid of confidence motions since in effect confidence is set by a majority vote of the voters directly. Federally the candidates for the last election in each riding whether a by-election or the general endorses a council-designate of 16 to 20 members. These Councils are formed by any member of the House of Commons nominating an individual to form a proposed government. If they accept they appoint people to the ministerial portfolios in a council-designate of 16 to 20 members. When the Members of Parliament endorse a Council they have votes equal to their popular vote in the last election in their riding. The four most endorsed Councils get on the confidence-ballot. A significant catch is that no one on one of these Councils can run for the Commons simultaneously. Just as you can’t run for mayor and the city council at the same time.

In all likelihood this will give 3 council-designate on the confidence-ballot. The question being “Which of these council-designate do you have confidence in to serve as the Council of Ministers in the next Parliament of Canada”. You would have the choice of the Conservative party the Leader Stephen Harper, the New Democratic Party the Leader Thomas Muclair, and the Liberal party the Leader Justin Trudeau. A preference ballot where you mark your first choice, your second choice, and of course your last choice to form the next government. Count the ballots once and if no Council has a majority count a second time with just the top two. Winner becomes the Council of Ministers for the next Parliament and the runner-up the Council of Opposition.

No confidence motions but all members of the cabinet and the opposition council are subject to the disciplinary motions of reprimand, censure, suspension, and dismissal. A motion of reprimand requires an absolute 1/3 + 1 majority in the Commons (113 out of 338). A reprimand is the proverbial slap on the wrist. A motion of censure carries with it a loss of 1 weekly paycheck and requires an absolute majority (170). Each additional censure increases the loss of an additional weekly paycheck. You can be censured a maximum of 4 times in each Parliament. A motion of suspension takes an absolute 60% vote (203) and suspends the member for 90 days with the loss of pay for that time. You can be suspended a maximum 3 times in a Parliament. A motion of dismissal takes an absolute 2/3 majority to pass (226) and results in the member of the Council of Ministers or Council of Opposition being dismissed from office.