Time to get serious about electoral reform

PR would likely result in never having another majority government on P.E.I.

Surely we’ve about had it. Voters on P.E.I. expressed their desire for a system of Proportional Representation, and we all know very well what happened to that. And we know why it happened; the old line parties don’t like it. Even after they campaigned on the idea. Why is that? Well, it’s actually quite simple. And so is the solution.

We have a lot of really good people elected to represent us in the legislature. Really. And during an election, these people listen carefully to the electorate, determine what we want, and promise to provide it. And they even mean it.

But then they find themselves elected and, under our present system, they’re no longer able to listen to their constituents.

They listen to the leaders of their parties. In particular, to the leader of the governing party; in our case, the premier. That’s because he or she has the power to affect the pay, the perks, and the influence of those people on the government side of the House, who have had to stop listening to us.

You can’t really blame these good people. They know they can get more accomplished personally if the premier (and the back room hacks) smile on their co-operation. That’s the way the system works.

We can stop it. Between now and the next election. If we get right at it right away.

First, we have to hope the Conservatives can choose a good, strong leader — to make his or her party strong enough to take seats from the Liberals. Ideally, to take enough seats so that the two old line parties are equally represented in the legislature.

And those of us who support neither of the old-line parties manage to elect enough Green members to support Peter Bevan-Baker in holding the balance of power between the Liberals and Conservatives.

Probably just five or six seats would do it, and it wouldn’t matter who turns out to be leader of the party allowed to govern; the power over his or her trained seals would be gone.

And at least some of those former seals would suddenly remember the promise they made.

And the Green members would help them to keep those promises.

Because one of those promises would result in proportional representation, we would not likely ever have another majority government on Prince Edward Island.

That’s not a problem, that’s the solution.

So, let’s get to work.