As for the Reform and the Bloc, I say that they are not an example of what is wrong with politics, they are an example of what is right with politics. While I don't agree with the vast majority of their ideas, the fact is that they stepped up to the plate where the other parties didn't. They represent those areas and that constituency. The fact is that 80% of Canada's population resides in cities that make up, what, 20% of the geographic area (that's a rough estimate). What about those other 20% of the people who live in the vastness of the rest of this country with their vastly different concerns??? Should they be ignored to create "cohesion". If we want cohesion and unity as a country, than it is the job of our politicians and leaders to work together to make that happen, not monkey with the system to create a false-unity that's really just suppressing different views. That's not democratic.

I don't agree that more regional representation is needed in the MMP framework.  I think FPTP already emphasizes regional concentrations which is why we got the Reform party and the Bloc (and consequently an Ontario-based Liberal Party), and why the NDP suffers.  We need more national cohesion and for parties to focus their support less on regional concentrations.  Theoretically, the Senate is supposed to be the regional balance to the House, but we know that's an entirely different discussion of reform.

I don't think that Fair Vote will up and quit either, but I don't think that the push for electoral reform will never have another chance at change. To say that "just because they said no the first time," we'll never get another chance is a bit naive too. By that kind of logic, there would be so many ideas and things that we benefit from now that simply wouldn't exist. This is not going to be the only chance because if the people continue to push for change, they will get their chance again.

I'm not saying the issue will go away. Fair Vote won't fold. Personally, I'll still push for electoral reform. But to think that, after a hypothetical low level of support for MMP, future governments won't say "Ontarians had their say on electoral reform and they said they don't want it" is the height of naivete, IMHO.

If MMP is accepted, I predict it will be at least a generation until the proper changes needed to MMP would be made to.

The whole issue of electoral reform has gotten to this point because the people have pushed it to this point. So, after this vote if it fails, I have a hard time believing that those people are going to pack up their tents and go home. Not to mention the fact that electoral reform in Ontario has never received the profile that it is getting right now. I believe that profile will have a lasting effect on the voters of Ontario, and will spur more discussion and support for some kind of PR. Look at just about every referendum ever held in history, win or loose, the ideas that brought about the referendum do not go away.

If the vote for MMP is less than 50% on October 10, I predict it'll be a generation before we see any electoral change in Ontario.

The fact is that there are no guarentees as to who would make that next step in making that change to regional MMP regardless of the result of the vote. If I voted Yes and the Yes side won, I feel pretty confident in saying that there would be a very strong sentiment in the halls of power to "let this thing take hold before messing with it". That being said, there are very few people out there saying that FPTP is the way to go, and there are many like myself that are against this version of MMP but are for reforms. When you add those to those who support this MMP, I believe that if this referendum fails, the momentum for change of some kind will be much stronger to push the new government for changes to FPTP. It's not like this is the one and only chance to make these changes.

I believe in doing the job right the first time, and i'd rather get it right than spoil the momentum for change by approving a system that I don't believe will create that positive change.

One thing though and I think I've addressed this to you already - what to you think is the better way to get to such a system? Voting for MMP on October 10? Or voting for the status quo? Personally, I think it's extremely naive to think that the latter will be interpreted as anything but support for the electoral status quo.

If you want a regional MMP system, it seems to me to make much more sense to vote for MMP October 10 and then press the legislature for changes to the Citizens' Assembly's model.

Or do you think that after a majority vote for the status quo the government is going to start another electoral reform process? If so, I've got some swamp land in Florida you might be interested in …

If those 39 MMP seats were distributed by regions, based on regional votes, I would be able to get behind it. I also believe that form would benefit smaller parties because most smaller parties have regional pockets of support, and under that set up, they would stand a much better chance of getting to the 3% threashold than if their regional result is watered-down by the entire provinces totals.

As for this quote "The No side is merely using “maybe this will happen..” without showing any supporting evidence of the electoral version of Armageddon happening from the countries that are currently using it.", I have pointed to the political history of this province and country to support my views constantly. I would point out that the Yes side has yet to provide examples of other jurisdictions that are actually comparable to Ontario, because New Zealand, Germany and Scotland are not in regards to geographic size and the uneven distribution of population. I believe that those two factors play a huge role in the need for those MMP seats to be directly attached to regions, no matter how you split it up.