Mixed Member Proportional system debated in Bolton
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter
Prior to last Monday night's all-candidates debate at Humberview secondary school in Bolton, a debate was held regarding the referendum question that will be on the ballot for Wednesday's provincial election.

The question asks which voting system voters prefer, the current First Past the Post system or the Mixed Member Proportional system proposed by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform.

Under the Mixed Member Proportional system, the ballot would give a person two votes. People would vote for the party of their choice and also for the local candidate they prefer.

With MMP, 90 members would be elected in local ridings through the candidate side of the ballot, and 39 members, called list members, would be elected province-wide through the party side of the ballot.

For Wednesday's provincial election, the First Past the Post system will still be used in Ontario's 107 ridings.

Arguing in favour of MMP was Dr. Monika Dutt, a recently graduated family doctor. Supporting the current First Past the Post system was Matthew Mahoney.

Dutt said the current system worked well before 1937 when there were only two political parties. She wasn't saying MMP would solve all of their problems.

Mahoney said this would result in a loss of 17 seats where candidates are directly elected. He believed the new ridings would be much bigger resulting in a loss of ability to deal with an MPP. He added there would be 39 unelected members who would be appointed by party bosses. He also thinks this would result in successive minority governments.

Dutt countered in other countries a region would have two reps. She argued "appointed" is not the word to use because the list members are elected. She pointed out a party would still need three per cent of the vote to get a list member. With MMP there would be more of a coalition with parties working together, she said.

Mahoney responded he doesn't know where parties