Workers voting for workers

I have many blogs on the site puling for electoral reform but it is important to note that changing economics or other factors changes voting behaviour apart from the electoral system in use.

For instance Edmonton voters elected four Labour councillors in 1928.

By the late 1920s, the roaring 20s had left many workers behind. This was likely similar to the situation in recent times where every ten years the Alberta boom reaches a peak. House prices are at a high point, governments get greedy and allow wage floors to decline relatively, and they cut taxes and cut social service spending to boost the boom further. Workers are left behind, and some take revenge at the polling booths.

However it is only when the economy tanks that workers in great number vote for their own interest. When the Great Depression hit, worker did vote for their own - in 1931 four Labour councillors were elected, more than any single election before.

This is somewhat similar to the 1986 election, the first since the oil price crash of the early 1980s. The economy did badly - not as bad as today but badly. 16 NDP MLAs were elected, many of them were re-elected in 1989 but when the economy improved in 1992 some voters turned against the NDP and they all lost their seats. They did not lose all their votes but under FPTP a small shift in voting behaviour makes a great difference in representation.

So I guess I am saying that the voting system does matter - so there!