Are Albertans adequately engaged in public life and policy decisions affecting their future, and has Alberta achieved adequate standards of participation, representation, and accountability?
Speaker: Peter McCormick – Professor of Political Science, University of Lethbridge
Session Summary:
Do we accept the speaker’s assessment of Alberta’s performance in this area? If not, what is our assessment?
- General agreement on “D” grade with one table giving a higher grade, and two groups suggesting a lower grade
Do we agree with the proposed solutions and alternatives? If not, how would we alter them?
- Problem with “dumbing down” of politics, impact of mass media
- Agree with opportunity of internet / social media, though technology is not the sole answer, more face to face interaction is also needed
- Not just about voter turnout, also about issue engagement
What additional ideas, solutions, and alternatives do we think would improve Alberta’s performance in this area?
- More direct democracy, change the nature of confidence votes / party discipline / decrease power of the whip, allow recall of MLAs, electronic voting on budgets and legislation
- Broadcast provincial caucus meetings on the internet with exceptions for in camera sessions
- Record votes in legislature in electronic form that can be retrieved by citizens
- Improve young voter education on political structures, engage them earlier, more interesting messages for youth, less intimidating, national youth service to promote participation
- Lower the voting age, more convenient voting locations
- Consider mandatory voting, allow spoiled ballots (Australian model)
- Incentive for people to vote (tax credit)
- Re-examine government funding of political parties
- Foster a feeling of belonging, increase profile of public service
- Preferential ballots, runoffs (must win over 50%)
- Open data approach to sharing information
- Greater focus on a cohesive “vision”
- Creating new parties / more competition
- Remove corporate donations from politics
Small Group Discussion response forms: