Notices by M. Grégoire (mpjgregoire@cosocial.ca)

@evan I am much more strongly opposed to electronic voting than to compulsory voting.

Canada has at present a voting system that is fast, reliable, simple and well-trusted. The reason for the latter is that voters, even disappointed ones, can easily understand how the system works, and outsiders can verify it. It would be a terrible mistake to move to electronic voting, one that we'd regret within a few election cycles.

#CanPol
#VotingSystems #voting #ElectronicVoting

@evan There are many policies I think make society a bit worse without thinking they make it into "an authoritarian hellscape".

Come on, you know better than that.

@evan
I don't think any of those features are particularly the result of compulsory voting. Indeed, I think compulsory voting is probably the least significant of the differences in democracy between Australia and Canada, less important than preferential ballots, STV for the Senate, the custom of elected members ousting leaders, or 3 year mandates.

I listened recently to this: https://www.thepodcastbrowser.com/judith-brett-how-a-benthamite-political-culture-shaped-australias-electoral-system/

As for states with compulsory voting other than Australia, I know too little to opine.

2/2

@evan To preface my comments, I was just asking about Australian politics, https://cosocial.ca/@mpjgregoire/114444504825203904 ; I do have some knowledge of the processes of Australian elections, but "the state of democracy" there is not something I'm particularly qualified to judge.

That said, it's fine, so far as I know. My impression is that they do not suffer from deadlock, that parties alternate in power regularly, that the public gets the policies it desires, that politicians are no more corrupt than here.

1/2

@evan It is the duty of all citizens to cast an informed vote. It is concerning that we do not see higher voter turnout in Canadian elections.

However, to make voting mandatory is treat the symptom, not the underlying problem. No, definitely not.

#elections

@evan @dneary At present we use fossil fuels for transport, which is bad for the climate, but that's not a necessary feature of trade. In the past shipping was propelled by the the wind, and in the future it may be powered by battery.

@evan I think the first item of significant news I found out about here was the death of Pope Francis.

The supply of news on the Fediverse is getting better and better.

(I get my news mostly from reading the newspaper online and listening to CBC Radio.)

@evan Somewhat unimportant. Turns out the #IDU has failed to overthrow Canadian democracy, despite the concerns of people on the Fediverse. Maybe they'll be right next time...

(Here's what I think about the IDU: https://cosocial.ca/@mpjgregoire/114271668608123148 )

@evan I wonder what Mr. Trudeau has been up to? Vacation abroad somewhere? That's probably what I would do in his place.

@evan I think I hear an implicit critique of another recent political leader...

But Mr. Trudeau didn't just step down — his party forced him out.

Going in to scrutineer now. I'll be back online when the ballots are counted here.

Good luck, everyone!

#CanPol #cdnpoli #elxn45

@evan
Only if you ignore everything the #CPC has ever said about defending Canadian sovereignty.

The party this post is most likely to favour is the Liberals; does Pres. Trump want them re-elected, or is he oblivious to the effects of his actions?

@TheGentYYC

@evan We're fortunate to have a parliamentary system of government in Canada.

@evan Hmm. I remember having an opinion on this poll...

Looking back, I guess that I was right; it wasn't an argument that would swing votes.

@evan There's one party that better represents my views on the issues facing the country than the others do. But I always investigate my local candidate, trying to be sure that he or she is an honourable and worthy person.

In general, all the candidates for the major parties are honourable people who wish to serve the common good.

@evan I prefer to be informed before people block me. Sometimes I'd like to apologise, and even if I don't I'd like to know where I crossed the line.

I try to follow that principle when I consider blocking others.

@evan My priors are that supernatural events *do* occur, but almost never according schedule (irregular though that schedule may be). On the other hand, I've read stories about the Holy Fire which are difficult to explain as a natural phenomenon; the stories may be false, to be sure.

@evan I don't want to sound doubtful on Holy Saturday, but I've never been sure if the Holy Fire is genuinely miraculous or simply a bit of pious showcraft.

@dansup @dumpsterqueer
Has there really been a decline in MAU in the Fediverse overall in the last month, or is that because your system of measuring their number has changed?

@evan @lazarukb Whenever people make claims about crime being up — or down —, the correct response is "Over what time frame?"

Homicide [0] in Canada was at a high of 755 in 1991, dropped to 511 in 2013, and rose to 882 in 2022. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510007101&pickMembers%5B0%5D=2.1&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=1981&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2023&referencePeriods=19810101%2C20230101

[0] Homicide is easier to count consistently than other crimes.

#crime
#CanPol #cdnpoli #elxn45