Current voting system has led to crazy results
Canada is one of a few democracies in the world which does not have some form of proportional representation.
At present a so-called majority government can be elected with less than 40 per cent of the population by the first past the post. This is not a democracy but an elected dictatorship.
The FPTP worked a 100 years ago when there were only two choices, you were a monarchist or you were not. Only British men with property or British men and women in the services were able to vote. Women didn’t get the vote until 1918. It was hardly fair even then.
There have been some very crazy results in Canada with FPTP. In 1993 the Conservatives lost party status with only two seats, but with 16 per cent of the vote; the Bloc Quebecois became Official Opposition with 54 seats and 13.5 per cent of the vote. The Green party won no seats but with almost the same vote as the BQ.
Every voter’s choice should mean something, or why bother to vote? Many don’t for that reason, or vote strategically. Our voting system is something we should be thinking seriously about.
Trudy Thorgeirson
Duncan