Positioning Bulletin
The OAYEC Positioning Bulletin shares OAYEC's positions, values or discussion items related to the youth employment sector, and is available the first Monday of every month.
TOPIC FOR October 3rd, 2007:
Provincial Elections
Backgrounder
OAYEC supports three concrete ways to get involved in the upcoming election on October 10, 2007:
(1) Building relationships with politicians to support a sustainable youth employment network.
(2) Vote in the referendum, on Electoral Reform.
(3) Get involved in active electoral campaigns to support youth issues.
(1) Speaking with politicians at all candidates events and other forums is a great way to get your message across.
In September of 2006 OAYEC membership launched a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Blitz. During this campaign different agencies approached their local MPP’s to present them with the following key messages that the Job Connect coalition had decided upon. These messages are important for the provincial elections and the parties should be cognizant of the youth employer sector issues. Some members may want to remind politicians of the Key Messages we shared with MPPs over the past year.
The Job Connect Coalition Key Messages
#1 “Job Connect is the platform on which to build a world-class system of labour force development.”
- No Client Is Turned Away
- Supports Program Integration
- Three Tiers Of Service
#2 “Job Connect agencies deliver excellent results for all Ontarians.”
- Real Results Measured and Verified
- Job Connect Is Highly Accountable
- Demonstrated Continuous Improvement Over 7 Years
#3 “Ontario has invested millions in Job Connect’s capacity and infrastructure. Mobilize this base for the LMDA.”
- Proven Infrastructure Already in Place
- Service Canada and Ontario Works Connections
- Job Connect Can Grow
- Job Connect Adapts To Government Priorities
- Creating Community-based Hubs
#4 “Job Connect deliverers respond to local conditions. They are imbedded in their communities through their many relationships with stakeholders.”
- 7000 Employers Engaged Each Year
- Rooted in the Community
- Boards of Directors From Community Leaders
- Community-based All Across Ontario
#5 “The Job Connect Coalition and Job Connect agencies in local communities are willing to take leadership roles in the planning process.”
- The Job Connect Coalition Is Willing To Play A Leadership Role With MTCU
- Job Connect Agencies At The Local Level Are Willing To Collaborate In Local Planning
(2) Voting in the upcoming referendum is also crucial.
What is a Referendum?
A referendum is an event when the government asks voters an important question. All voters are asked to indicate which choice they prefer, using a ballot.
Why is this Referendum being held?
On March 24, 2006, the government set up an independent body called the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform. The Citizens' Assembly was made up of 52 women and 52 men aged from 19 to 78. They were chosen at random from the permanent Register of Electors to represent each electoral district in Ontario. Their job was to learn about the electoral system Ontario is using now, and other electoral systems around the world. They looked at how votes are counted and how votes are used to calculate seats in the provincial legislature. In April of this year, the referendum law was passed. It requires that if the Citizens' Assembly recommended an alternative to the existing system, a referendum must be held with the next provincial election. On May 15, 2007, the Citizens' Assembly recommended an alternative to First-Past-the-Post (our existing electoral system).
What is the Referendum about?
The referendum is about Ontario's electoral system. You will be asked to choose what electoral system you feel Ontario should use in the future. You will be given a choice of two electoral systems.
Choice One: The First-Past-the-Post System. It is the system used in Ontario now.
Choice Two: Mixed Member Proportional System. It is the alternative electoral system proposed by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform.
Summary of Both Systems:
Choice One: First Past the Post
What is First-Past-the-Post? How does it work? Ontario is divided into 107 electoral districts. In each district each voter gets one vote to choose which candidate they feel should win a seat in the provincial legislature. One vote. One ballot. In an election using the First-Past-the-Post system, the candidate with the most votes wins and will be the representative for the electoral district in the provincial legislature After the election, the political party that wins the most electoral districts is normally asked to form a government.
Choice Two: Mixed Member Proportional
How does Mixed Member Proportional work? Part 1 If this system is accepted, Ontarians will have two votes in future elections: one for a ‘Local Member’ and one for a political party. The provincial legislature would have 129 seats: Local Members’ would fill 90 seats while ‘List Members’ would fill 39 seats. The political party with the largest number of seats in the legislature, including ‘Local Members’ and ‘List Members’, is asked to form a government.
How are ‘Local Members’ and ‘List Members’ elected? Part 2 In each electoral district, one vote would be used to elect a 'Local Member' using a First-Past-the-Post system. The candidate with the most votes in an electoral district wins. The other vote would be for a political party. Votes for parties will be used to determine the number of 'List Members' each party gets. This is the proportional representation part. If a political party is entitled to more seats than it won locally, 'List Members' are elected to make up the difference. 'List Members' can only be elected from a political party that received more than 3% of these votes. In the end, a political party's overall share of seats will roughly equal its share of the total votes for parties in the province.
Who are ‘Local Members’ and ‘List Members’? Part 3 Anyone who meets the rules for eligibility can become a candidate for election as a ‘Local Member’. Some candidates are called “independents” while others represent a political party. ‘List Members’ are candidates from any registered political party. Before an election each political party prepares an ordered list of candidates they would like considered as ‘List Members’. These lists, and the way they are created, would be made public well in advance of any election in a Mixed Member Proportional system.
Making The Decision
The following links provide you with additional information so you can be educated to make an informed decision.
http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/252176
http://www.yourbigdecision.ca/
(3) Some members may want to get involved in other campaigns that benefit youth, one of these is the VOICES for Children campaign described below.
VOICES FOR CHILDREN
Where do party leaders stand on key child and youth issues? Get informed and vote for kids on October 10th!
Your vote is so important for Ontario's nearly 4 million children and youth.
LEARN about the issues
SHARE your views and find out what others think
ACT by voting for kids on October 10th
With a provincial election coming up October 10th, it's time to ask: who has a strong, positive, proactive vision for Ontario's kids? Our young people urgently need leaders with a vision and a plan for an Ontario that will support their healthy development and future success.
It's not always easy to understand how each party’s platform supports children and families and strengthens society in Ontario.
That's why we’ve asked the leaders of the three major parties where they stand on important kids’ issues.
Read all three party responses at http://www.voicesforchildren.ca/
Conclusion
This month’s bulletin is a snap shot of information provided in order for you to make an informed decision about the choices presented at the provincial election. The election is scheduled to take place October 10, 2007. Please do vote!
For more information, please contact:
Soni Dasmohapatra
sdasmohapatra@oayec.org
The GO TO organization for youth employment issues.
The OAYEC Positioning Bulletin is a monthly newsletter provided by the Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres. OAYEC's mission is to support and advocate for a sustainable youth employment delivery network.
Feedback, comments, and suggestions for future Positioning Bulletins are welcome!
Contact: Soni Dasmohapatra, Researcher, sdasmohapatra@oayec.org
OAYEC Bulletin Archives: http://www.oayec.org/members/news/bulletin/
To Unsubscribe:
You can unsubscribe by using the sign-up box on OAYEC's website at http://www.oayec.org/members/news/bulletin/