Ontario to Gain Seats in Parliament

[Finner]

From : http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../politics/home

TORONTO — Ontario will no longer be shortchanged under the Harper government's plan to add new seats to the House of Commons, says Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has agreed to revise his proposed legislation, which is designed to reflect population growth across Canada by adding new seats to the 308 currently in the Commons, Mr. McGuinty said on Thursday.
“I spoke to Harper about this, and I think we fixed it,” Mr. McGuinty said at a year-end news conference.
He did not elaborate on exactly how many seats would be added in Ontario under the proposed changes but said, “we will get the necessary proportionality.” That translates into another 21 seats in Ontario, bringing the tally for the province to 127, a government official confirmed.

Nothing about Alberta but I would assume we would get more as well.

[flip]

I would imagine the Ontario gains would have as much to do with fairness as it does with gaining a majority in the next election. As such Alberta should gain more too.

[Rerun]

If we are being fair about all this proportionality, shouldn't PEI be reduced to 1 seat from their current 4?

[flip]

Originally Posted by Rerun

If we are being fair about all this proportionality, shouldn't PEI be reduced to 1 seat from their current 4?

I say we get rid of the maritimes all together.

Sorry HD and Qscout.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Rerun

If we are being fair about all this proportionality, shouldn't PEI be reduced to 1 seat from their current 4?

Unfortunately, Harper can't legislate that. It would require a constitutional ammendment, as the constitution says that PEI is to have four senators, and no province can have fewer MPs than Senators.

Though if he could do that, I would have loved to see him reduce Newfoundland to one MP, just to send Danny Williams in a tizzy.

[ok, ok,....I get it]

Originally Posted by Rerun

If we are being fair about all this proportionality, shouldn't PEI be reduced to 1 seat from their current 4?

I say we get a federal version of the kids card table at family dinners. put PEI, NB, NS and NFLD at that table. They can only speak when spoken to.

[ok, ok,....I get it]

Originally Posted by flip

I say we get rid of the maritimes all together.

Sorry HD and Qscout.

if we loose them all together our military will drop by a 1/3...however our collective IQ may rise by 2/3......

[calculoso]

I'd rather that they reduce the number of MPs instead of increase them, but that would be a political no-go. Can you imagine the uproar anywhere if they had 5-10 MPs taken away? Total non-starter, even if it would be the best thing in terms of cost and effectiveness.

Ontario's whole point was 2 fold:
- "it's only fair"... who said anything about fairness?
- "It's about equality" ... who said anything in Canada was equal?

[Rerun]

Where's everybody going to sit?

Lets see now... they promised Ontario 21 new seats, they've promised BC another 7 seats, and Alberta has been promised 5 more. Thats 33 more seats, for a total of 341.

[bluntus logicimus]

Just some food for thought.

The UK House of Commons currently has 646 seats (the number varies slightly from time to time to reflect population change). This is a large legislature by international standards. For instance, the House of Representatives in the USA has 435 seats.

The UK population is 60 million
The U.S.A. population is 301 million

[Madman]

Originally Posted by ok, ok,....I get it

if we loose them all together our military will drop by a 1/3...however our collective IQ may rise by 2/3......

It's painfully funny you pointed out their low IQ while using the word loose instead of lose.

[ok, ok,....I get it]

Originally Posted by Madman

It's painfully funny you pointed out their low IQ while using the word loose instead of lose.

yes...yes...it is....typing, speaking on phone, and breathing it one too many tasks......still I stand by my statement.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by bluntus logicimus

Just some food for thought.

The UK House of Commons currently has 646 seats (the number varies slightly from time to time to reflect population change). This is a large legislature by international standards. For instance, the House of Representatives in the USA has 435 seats.

The UK population is 60 million
The U.S.A. population is 301 million

US = 535 when you count Senators which are actually useful somewhat down there.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Rerun

If we are being fair about all this proportionality, shouldn't PEI be reduced to 1 seat from their current 4?

As it presently sits in the constitution, a province can never have fewer ridings or seats in Parliament than they have seats in the Senate.

[guzzy]

I did hear that Alberta and BC are both getting more seats as well.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by redforever

As it presently sits in the constitution, a province can never have fewer ridings or seats in Parliament than they have seats in the Senate.

That is the most obscure fact I've ever read. Mad props to you.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

That is the most obscure fact I've ever read. Mad props to you.

Don't forget to throw those props as Resolute 14, as well (post 5).

[snowdude]

Originally Posted by guzzy

I did hear that Alberta and BC are both getting more seats as well.

6 each. I read in a blog on Maclean's website (i'll post link when i find it) that this brings the standard to ~100, 000 people per seat in most of the country (if you ignore PEI and their special deal).

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by flip

I say we get rid of the maritimes all together.

Sorry HD and Qscout.

yes yes, let's get rid of the provinces that built the country, woo!

although I will give a shout out for being one of two of the numerous Maritime posters on this board, haha

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Unfortunately, Harper can't legislate that. It would require a constitutional ammendment, as the constitution says that PEI is to have four senators, and no province can have fewer MPs than Senators.

That's the rules. Dunno if I agree with PEI getting FOUR myself, but there must be some logic behind it I'm unaware of?

Originally Posted by ok, ok,....I get it

I say we get a federal version of the kids card table at family dinners. put PEI, NB, NS and NFLD at that table. They can only speak when spoken to.

In all fairness, would you sit your grandparents at the kids table? The people who provided for your future, and when you are prosperous and doing well, and they are on hard times, you stick them at the kids table and tell them only speak when spoken to?

Reminds me of the Ricky Bobby scene with Walker & Texas Ranger talking trash to Chip. Sad really.

I've argued on this forum that Nova Scotia got hit with a perfect storm of fracked in the arse. Coal, fisheries, and steel were all pumping, and collapsed at roughly the same time. It was much more diversed than oil and . . . ummmm . . . oil spinoffs?

Back on topic, MP's are elected by population. 1 Member of Parliament per approximately 100,000 I do believe. Should be looked at prior to every election IMO.