Parliament

One member asked what form of Government we had. Made me really realise how little is known of New Zealand and even had me wondering if we are thought of as a backward little country down there off Australia. No disrespect meant towards the asker. Actually that comment is a little unfair of me because when back in New Zealand or Australia if anyone had asked me what form of Government did Canada have, while I would have guessed correctly I would not have really known.

Well anyway I should answer the question asked. We have the Westminster System which is the same as Canada and in fact the UK. It was an education for me when I walked into the Parliament here in Ottawa and find that except for it being a much larger scale I was looking at an absolute mirror of what I had looked at back at home. I realised that it was the same as pictures I had seen of Parliament in the UK. They were the same seating layout and the same colourings so all were basically the same Government system.

When I am talking here about Parliament it has me thinking about different facets of Governing, I know from here I will probably ruffle some feathers but I think it will start some thinking and perhaps some interesting dialogue.

I think first about compulsory or by choice voting. I personally am in favour of the non compulsory system. I think that when voting is compulsory there are a number of people who have no knowledge of politics or the people standing or what the people standing are proposing and make votes that they do not really even know what they are doing. They are just filling in boxes because they have to. It is reasonable to assume that these non real votes could perhaps have an effect on a result

Then there is the "Preferential" system which I do not fully understand but from what I do know I can not agree with.at all. This is based on the following.. I can vote for Tom Smith who I definitely wish to be elected but when he is not elected the votes go to Bill Jackson who he has allocated as his preference. It happens that I have no love or respect or desire for Bill Jackson to be elected but my vote has found its way to him. Don't like this.