Proportional Representation


This week the election south of the border has got us thinking about our own system in Canada. What struck us is that people are talking about “winning” the election - as if an election is some sort of contest where the winner gets the prize. Is it more accurate to say that gaining more votes than any other candidate means that you have gained enough confidence to form the government? There is no prize - just hard work. You have been selected by the people to represent the people in parliament.


There has also been a lot of rhetoric about how the US democratic system is the best in the world. That is another debate. Our own system in Canada is in fact pretty good. But it is not perfect. We see over and over that the number of representatives from any one political party does not match their popular vote. And we see over and over again that governments are formed, either majority or minority, with less than 50% of the popular vote. If you call it “winning”, well less than 50% is not a win in anyone’s book.


It’s time to make our voting system fairer, and actually deliver democratic reform to make sure that everyone’s vote counts. New Democrats are committed to cutting through the cynicism about politics and getting the job done. A New Democrat government will bring in mixed-member proportional representation that works for Canada and have it in place for the next election to ensure both local representation and a federal government that reflects the voters’ choice of parties.

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