Taking steps toward a fairer electoral system

Re: Voters want reform — May 24

The overwhelming Liberal win in the last election was partly a result of their promise it would be the last election in which MPs would be chosen by the first-past-the-post system. This system is not democratic. It results in a virtual dictatorship in which a party has complete power without winning a majority of the votes. The prime minister of Canada in a majority government has more power than the president of the United States.

Some people prefer majority governments because they are more “stable”, but a look at Canadian history shows what we owe to the co-operation, albeit forced, among parties in minority governments: Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan, universal health care, student loans, etc. Majority governments can pass any legislation they wish and we have only the Senate (an unelected body of questionable qualifications in many cases) as a last resort.

On May 31, there will be a free vote in the House of Commons on a motion to accept the recommendations of the all-party committee on electoral reform. This could be a first step toward a fairer electoral system. The committee recommended a form of proportional representation. The government, despite the committee’s findings, and despite polls that indicate majority support among Canadians, is alleging there is no clear preference for change.

Isobel Taylor

Waterloo