We need a ‘representative system’

April 30, 2014 · 0 Comments

Bill Rea, in his column “Strategic voting doesn’t work” (April 10) lamented that a lot of people, for reasons he hasn’t even tried to understand, are dumb enough not to vote.
I’ll be glad to offer my version of an explanation.
A major contributing factor would certainly be our archaic, primitive first-past-the-post electoral system, which renders any vote, other than one for the ultimate winner, a lost vote and totally meaningless, except for statistics.
If neither of the two mainstream parties appeal to a voter, he knows beforehand that voting for a third or (perish the thought) a fourth candidate is a lost endeavor. So, why bother?
Don’t get me wrong. I have not only been actively voting since becoming eligible in 1961, but also functioned many times as poll clerk and once as a DRO and party observer respectively.
But I do understand why people may be frustrated for lack of representation.
If we had representative government, not a single vote would be “lost.” We may not have as many majority governments, but more coalitions which could save the taxpayers a whole lot of money that has been “blown away” by majority governments.
Think of the federal sponsorship scandal; billion-dollar Gun Registry for naught; Provincial e-Health; Ornge (Air Ambulance); Ontario Hydro/Hydro One; the frivolous gas plant expenses, which has added decades of debt to the taxpayers of this province.
Rare is the occasion when an “also-ran” overcomes the odds and finishes on top, such as the surprise Bob Rae got when his party won an election.
Other countries, with much less of a democratic history, have a real representative system which leaves out nobody.
Wulf Graunitz,
Palgrave