tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post1860919158717945005..comments2024-02-07T16:22:39.625-05:00Comments on Jeff Jedras: Fixed election dates a failed experimentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-3296593313708348812010-09-16T12:50:35.047-04:002010-09-16T12:50:35.047-04:00"I've always felt fixed election dates we..."I've always felt fixed election dates were populist pablum masquerading as reform, but now it's clear: they're a failed experiment. Lets scrap them."<br /><br />Hear hear. Fixed election dates are a bore. They remove the political strategizing that must be involved when a government ponders when to trigger an election. Call me old fashioned, but just like Senate appointments, I prefer my election dates be at the discretion of a sitting prime minister.Omarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12058734544373976550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-38574328387014228972010-09-16T00:48:23.170-04:002010-09-16T00:48:23.170-04:00PG,
The report was from a NB prof, but I'm no...PG,<br /><br />The report was from a NB prof, but I'm not too familiar with the playing-field there myself. I am, though, more familiar with Ontario and BC, both of which do have fixed-election date legislation.<br /><br />In Ontario government spending is a bit less of a problem because of the McGuinty bill banning government advertising. But I'm aware of no pre-election party caps. <br /><br />In BC there are no constraints in either regard. I wasn't out there for the last election, but I was for the one prior. The Campbell government began a massive taxpayer-funded "it's morning again in BC" style ad campaign months before the writ, which dovetailed perfectly into his party's writ message. <br /><br />I just don't see the benefits from this legislation, just lots of downsides. As the professor said, sure, it helps to recruit candidates. <br /><br />And for political animals, we can book the time off work in advance to work campaigns. But for the general public? I don't think they care that much. Campaigns annoy them, and voting is a 30-minute chore on e-day, whether they had six weeks or four years notice. I don't think a longer annoying campaign is worth the advance notice for them.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-42705569363110185092010-09-15T21:55:29.128-04:002010-09-15T21:55:29.128-04:00An interesting commentary as always, Jeff.
A smal...An interesting commentary as always, Jeff.<br /><br />A small point about New Brunswick, however: they have annual spending limits on advertising expenditures, for both constituency associations and central parties, which apply outside of election writ periods.<br /><br />In the case of this year, they might well have spent the full annual amounts in advance of the writ, but would then be unable to spend anything post-election.<br /><br />The limits amount to $2K annually per constituency association, and $35K annually per registered party. No idea what the inflation escalator would be on that, if any.The Pundits' Guidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14538508466559680720noreply@blogger.com