Of course, as with all referenda, the wording of the question is critical, as is the education of residents to the issues and trade-offs at stake in the decision. How to make sure the question is fairly articulated… who gets to write it?
Other jurisdictions (California being the prime example) have been employing ballot propositions (referendums) for decades. How can we think of our own forms of municipal, provincial, and federal governance as being democratic if we do not employ referendums on big-ticket or culturally significant issues. You can bet that Montrealers wish they could go back in time to vote against their Big Owe stadium.
Of course, as with all referenda, the wording of the question is critical, as is the education of residents to the issues and trade-offs at stake in the decision. How to make sure the question is fairly articulated… who gets to write it?
Other jurisdictions (California being the prime example) have been employing ballot propositions (referendums) for decades. How can we think of our own forms of municipal, provincial, and federal governance as being democratic if we do not employ referendums on big-ticket or culturally significant issues. You can bet that Montrealers wish they could go back in time to vote against their Big Owe stadium.