Calgary Herald, Nov. 1, 1987:
New Brunswick's lopsided election created skepticism of value of "one riding, one representative" electoral system
The lopsided 1987 New Brunswick election -- when the Liberal party won all the seats in the Legislature -- re-ignited calls for PR.
PR experts say with such a reform average Canadians would feel their votes really counted. Those who vote for parties that don't win under the "one riding, one representative" system would still get a voice in parliament or a provincial leg.
for example it would end years of frustration for the 25 percent of Westerners who consistently vote Liberal federally with little hope of sending an MP to Ottawa.
It would also preclude the kind of crushing majorities now wielded by the Conservative in the Commons and Liberal in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.
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[Referring to Mixed-Member Proportional] Under PR, parties send members to a legislature based on their share of the popular vote, not just winning candidates. In order to qualify, the party must receive a minimum percentage - perhaps five percent - of ballots cast.
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European countries that use PR have a variety of ways of choosing the "extra' representatives. They can be appointed to a party slate, elected by party members in primaries, or elected by votes who select several from regional or provincial slates in order of preference.
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David Elton, president of the Calgary-based think-tank the Canada West Foundation, said he believed PR better reflects voters' wishes.
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[On charge that PR creates unstable minority governments] Elton argued that more minority governments would be good for Canada. They are much more responsive to the electorate and have adopted some of the best legislation in our history including national public healthcare.
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[But there is the obstacle of opposition from elected politicians.]
Calgary Tory MP Jim Hawkes said he represents everyone in his riding, not just those who voted for him and would oppose any slate system of several candidates. [It is likely Liberal voters in his riding did not feel he represented them when he voted for measures opposed by the Liberal government or Opposition.]
NDP MP Jon Rodriquez says one MP should be responsible to the people in a riding. And he would oppose anything that undermines that relationship such as a group of MPs who would represent a region collectively.
"There are other ways of dealing with large majorities," Rodrigues said. "I don't think we've fully explored the influence that extra-parliamentary groups can have on government."
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Elton said Canada's present system is so much a part of the political culture that PR will be raised and discussed many times before Canadian politicians take it seriously.
"The question is whether politicians have the political will to reform the system - and the answer for hundreds of years has been 'No"".
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It is not known why Elton, regarded as an expert on Western Canadian politics did not seem to know that there were two W.C. provincial governments that did not say "NO" but instead brought in a form of pro-rep (STV) for election of its MLAs. These STV elections were held in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg from 1920s to 1950s. STV was also used in about 150 elections held in 20 cities and other municipalities in the 1917-1971 period.
Thanks for reading.
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What is STV?
From a 1902 reform magazine: "Thinking it well to have in every number something by way of a brief explanation of proportional voting, I repeat in this number the following. Proportional representation means the use of a reasonable and scientific system of voting instead of the present stupid, unfair and inefficient procedure. Methods: There are several systems by which the principle of proportional representation may be given effect to. Large electoral districts, each electing several members, are a necessary feature. The "quota" plan is usually employed. It means that a quota of the votes elects one representative. To arrive at the quota, the number of valid votes cast is divided by the number of seats to be filled. For instance in a seven-member district any one-seventh of the voters could elect one representative and the other six-sevenths could not interfere with their choice. The three principal systems of proportional representation are the Free List as used in Switzerland and Belgium [party-list pro-rep], the Hare system as used in Tasmania [STV], and the Gove System as advocated in Massachusetts. The Preferential Vote [Alternative Voting/Instant Run-off Voting] -- This is used in the election of single officers such as a mayor. It is not strictly a form of pro-rep but is akin thereto, and uses part of the same voting methods. The object of preferential voting is to encourage the free nomination of candidates and to obtain always a clear majority at one balloting, no matter how many candidates are nominated." (From the Proportional Representation Review Dec. 1902, p. 77) (Hathi Trust online resource, page 81/180) Thanks for reading. Check out my blog "List of Montopedia blogs concerning electoral reform" to find other blogs on this important subject. ----------------------------------- This year: * 100th Anniversary of United Farmers of Alberta party being elected on promise to bring in electoral reform, a promise fulfilled three years later.
* 100th Anniversary of the second Winnipeg election in which councillors in Winnipeg were elected through STV... * 50th anniversary of the last STV city election in Canada. Calgary elected 14 city councillors through STV, and then switched to FPTP for city elections. By that time, more than 54 years after the first STV city election, anyone old enough to have voted using X voting in a city election would have had to be 75 years old. * 50th Anniversary of election of Lougheed's Progressive-Conservatives. With only 46 percent of the vote they took more than 60 percent of the seats. NDP received 11 percent of the vote but elected just one (Grant Notley), instead of the nine MLAs it was due.
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