Provincial Proportional Representation (PR) electoral reform is a
worthwhile consideration but based on review of related information
we easily conclude it is not significantly better, unfortunately in
some important respects, worse than our current First Past The Post
(FPTP) system. in some respects the PR system is less democratic
than the FPTP system and that is unacceptable. Our current
electoral system has worked reasonably well for many years in many
democratic countries including ours.
Perhaps, a simple, acceptable, fair and reasonable compromise
for the situation of the party that got the most (popular majority)
total election votes but not the majority of seats would be to
increase their number of seats to one more than the second most
popular party. The several added popular majority party individuals
would be those with the next most number of votes even though they
would have finished second in their particular riding. So some
ridings would have two representatives probably a good thing for
that electoral district riding and overall.
There probably should be a minimum number of seats for the
second, third and fourth most popular parties. For example the
second most popular party could have five seats, the third most
popular party could have two seats and the fourth most popular
party one seat. The seats would be in addition to, sort of true
backbenchers, to the usual total number of seats. So in total it
could be possible, but unlikely, to have an additional eight seats.
The added elected individuals would be those in the respective
party that received the next most votes in their ridings. Overall
the popular majority would govern and the minorities would have
some assured representation.
A far more critical, urgent and important consideration is
provincial, municipal and school trustee election funding.
Contributions by corporations, unions and groups must end
soon---only individuals should be allowed to contribute to election
funds in a true democracy. if corporations, unions and groups are
to be allowed to continue to contribute to election funds then
those funds should go to a general election fund which would be
redistributed to all parties and candidates after the election in
direct proportion to the votes the party and individual candidates
received.
The recent revision of the Federal political party and candidate
election funding is a good step in the right direction but the
upper limits are still too high and the individual compensation is
too generous especially in the second, third etc. years. There has
to be a better way.
Let’s not forget that many have fought and died to
protect our very successful Canadian democracy.
Iris and Allan Solie
[Copies of related newspaper articles submitted to the
Citizens’ Assembly with this submission are not
available online but may be viewed at the Citizens’
Assembly office.]
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