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Tom Monto

UFO and Pro-rep

The United Farmers of Ontario held government from 1919 to 1923. It, like the United Farmers of Alberta, were in favour of electoral reform, endorsing proportional representation/Single Transferable Voting. However, when in power it did not reform the electoral system. leaving Ontario votes at the mercy of the almost-random First past the post system.


The UFO were trounced in the 1923 election. At least you would think so if you look only at the seat counts. They went from 58 seats down to 21. However this was an exaggerated effect of an only 8-percent drop in popularity (in the vote count). A loss of a quarter of their votes meant a loss of almost two-thirds of their seats. Don't tell me FPTP gives us stability!


After being turned out of power, (when it was too late) the United Farmers of Ontario was promoting PR and asking its branches to use it for their local executive elections. (Proportional Representation Review, October 1923, p. 89)


However they never again came to power. The next leftist government would not be elected until 1990 -- the NDP. Bob Rae (later a Liberal) was premier. Electoral reform was not achieved under that government either.


It was said that the UFO lost votes and the 1923 election because it did not do as much as it could to address the wants of its supporters -- the farmers of the province. The United Farmers of Alberta government (elected about the same time) meanwhile was applauded for its pro-farmer polices - and were re-elected. (Red Deer News, July 4, 1923)

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