RE: “Reevely: Our messy Ottawa election should spawn a new way of voting”
Most, if not all voters are tired of the attack ads and attack style politics. Few people care who can rip out the other candidate’s jugular the fastest, or in the most politically correct manner. Voters want to know what their elected representatives are going to do for them….Why should I vote for you, WIFM (What’s In it For Me)?
Ranked voting is one of a few tools in the kit to help combat this growing trend. So the question should be asked, why is such a decision left in the hands of those who will be effected by it first hand? Yes, absolutely minor tweaks can and should be left to those who we elect to represent us. However, and this may sound a bit naive, changing the fundamental way we select our elected representatives should be a decision by the voters, not those who we vote for. One could argue, on the extreme end of the spectrum, that it would be similar to allowing banks to change the laws that govern them, or to have parole hearings run by inmates.
Many residents are tired of watching politicians squabble like children. Though it can be entertaining at times, many voters want their elected representatives to put their differences aside and make the voters’ lives better. Be it through tax cuts, service efficiencies, creating stable high paying jobs, reducing the stresses of the daily commute. Or the basics like making sure our first responders can respond well and in a timely fashion, or something as simple as cutting the grass or taking out the trash.
As a candidate for city council in Bay Ward, I have received numerous surveys and questionnaires asking what I will promise to earn the vote of group X, or group C, or groups F, H & T. As I have said time and time again, I’m not running a campaign on false promises. My promise as a resident of the ward (not a council candidate) is simple, if my neighbours honour me with their vote I will do what I can to make the community a better place. This “promise” is what I would expect to receive from a candidate. A city councillor, like a mayor is but one vote around the table, so to make far reaching campaign promises does not make sense, especially if they cannot be kept.
Mr. Reevely touched on a few wards where the races are considered tight, Kitchissippi, Rideau-Vanier & Rideau-Rockcliffe. In some cases voters make their choice based upon the “lesser of two evils.” Ranked voting would put a different spin on such wards. It would also put a different spin on the race here in Bay Ward. In Bay Ward you have the incumbent (Taylor), four contenders (Robinson, Mertens, Pastien & Guirguis) along with the previous councillor (Cullen) who some have argued either gave up or got kicked out of his seat in the 2010 election – the jury is still out on that, depending on which residents you speak to as the opinion varies. There is no single person who is “best for the job” as everyone defines “best” just as differently as how they define the role/purpose of their councillor.
A separate issue is how such a selection (or selections, with ranked voting) is made. Some people vote for who they know personally and this is understandable. Some vote
for who has the most signs, or the least signs. Some vote for who “won” a specific debate, or who promised a specific increase or cut. That being said, not every ward is created equal, nor is the coverage within it. Some wards have multiple debates while others have none. Some council candidates are publicly praised by mayoral candidates, or publicly shamed by them.
Also as a candidate for city council in Bay Ward, I have been asked my position and my thoughts on the subject of ranked voting. As I have stated above, I do not believe that this is a decision that should be left solely in the hands of council, it should be placed in the hands of the voters. Such a change to our democratic process, even though just at the municipal level, should be made democratically. Regardless of the process used, not everyone will be happy, but as a voter I would rather make that choice myself, than have someone make it for me.
Trevor Robinson
Candidate for Councillor, Bay Ward (Ward 7)