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Sheila Peterson's avatar

Great interview! This guy is very knowledgeable and I’m still cracking up at his joke. Thanks for sharing.

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Carl von Rennenkampff's avatar

He did not seem to think a political system would work without parties as voting blocks would naturally form. However if we were to get rid of party leaders and parties and leave the whole clown debate show out of it, would we not be forced to look at our candidates more closely in our ridings?

In our current system I imagine 60-70% of people that vote only know the name of the party and leader they will vote for and not the candidate in their riding. All parties are guilty. However if we did not have a leader or party to vote for I imagine people would vote for the candidate in their riding they trust the most, or the one their neighbors and friends like.

I imagine first past the post was designed with the intention of keeping things decentralized until our whole world became so connected.

A book I read by investor Jim Rogers also said in our new world, politics could be done online. Why have all these politicians go to Ottawa where their kids do not go to the same schools as the constituents they represent, and they do not drive the same roads as the people who voted for them.

Also lobbyists would have to fly from dawson city to cold lake to dauphin then Sudbury to successfully lobby. The wining and dining game in Ottawa would come to an end and it would make lobbying much more difficult or impossible.

I think in the future a restructure of our political systems is inevitable and it wouldnt hurt to have some ideas in place of how to do it. It has to be more decentralized.

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Shaun Newman Podcast's avatar

All good thoughts Carl. Probably no matter the system there would be forces that try and corrupt it, but to just resign to the fact that what we have is the way... naa I agree.. I think we can do better. Thanks for the thoughts!

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Betty McIvor's avatar

Great interview! Nice to hear some history, and not talk about all the bad stuff that has been going on the past few years.

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Shaun Newman Podcast's avatar

Thanks Betty. Preston is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

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