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Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus
That way of thinking is just wrong on so many levels and is far more likely to lead to lame duck representative being elected than your preferred method of voting. There are far too many alternative outcomes possible that make voting only for a leader such a dangerous play for voters, with the following 2 being the most obvious:
1.) A minority government would place far more importance on each and every MP or MLA elected to place significant influence beyond the party line.
2.) The leader you have irrationally voted for winds up not winning their own riding or a new leader is chosen for a variety of reasons (retirement, illness, death, scandal) during the term.
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Under alternative 1, when you have a minority government, the party line tends to be even more tightly towed, so I can't say that I agree with you there. Alternative 2 strikes me as so rare that I don't think it is worth considering when you vote. Even in the case that a leader is replaced, a new election usually is not far away.
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No matter which way you spin it, you cannot simply assume your representative will be some insignificant backbencher. It happens, of course but our democracy just doesn't work effectively under those assumptions. Even a small player who is any good is going to make strides to improve their riding. It's unfortunate that some of these people don't get the chance to do it simply because of misguided voters not doing what is best for their own ridings.
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I see the useless back-bencher far more often than not. Federally, under the last Conservative government, the PMO seemed to control everything, even key cabinet positions. This current federal government appears to be no different after everything that has come to light with the SNC-Lavalin scandal. I live in Ontario, so I won't comment on Alberta politics, but federally, we just don't have effective local representation and voting as if we do is naive to me. To each their own, though. Sounds like you are thoughtful about your vote, which is the most important thing in my opinion.