How’d They
Vote is a non-profit site which aims to provide Canadians
with a detailed view of the
record of individual members of
parliament. Although the information provided is gleaned from
Hansard, the official record of Parliament, it is organised from the
voter’s point of view. Constituents are able to look up a
specific
MP’s speeches, attendance record in the House, dissentions
from the party line, and voting record on specific issues. Where
appropriate, the site links out to the Library of Parliament to provide
greater detail, especially the complete text of
bills.
Perhaps the most interesting feature on the site is the Voting
History. The first
page provides a table of all bills, with a
tally of the votes; defeated bills are highlighted. Clicking in
the Vote column provides an immediate breakdown of voting by MP and a
quick glance at party support. Clicking in the Bill column allows
the user to see a complete history of that piece of legislation,
including the sponsor, a short description, and a
link out to the
parliamentary library to view the text; from this page, the user can
then drill down to see the breakdown of votes by MP.
By clicking List of Bills, the user reaches a page showing all the
legislation before the House and its current status, with a link out to
a page providing greater detail. This page also shows at a glance
which party is sponsoring the bill.
The link to Find Your MP provides a list of all MPs with their party
affiliation and the name of the riding. Anyone who does not know
the name of his MP or his riding can find that information by simply
searching by postal code. Clicking on the MP’s name provides a
wealth of information, including quotes from speeches, contact
information, and a link out to the member’s own web site.
How’d They Vote makes very skillful use of graphics, particularly party
icons. The statistics provided are useful and well
organised. Although a very large amount of information is
provided, the site is uncluttered and easy to navigate.
By eliminating the press as middleman, How’d They Vote allows voters to
look quietly and with some attention at the record of their own MPs and
the government as a whole. They are also able to view bills which
are not reported by the press. Every democracy could benefit from
a non-partisan site such as How’d They Vote.
Published: July 12, 2005
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