It is not surprising that one of WAP/PAF's key concerns, and also that of an increasing number of citizens, is a call for a radical change in the way we vote. Women especially, noting that the current system is simply not working for them, are joining Fair Vote's efforts (see link on our website) to get rid of our first-past-the-post FPTP system of voting and adopt a form of proportional representation or PR.
The article below is clear that we are on the right track. Unless Canadians realize that this is our biggest hope to initiate change and stop dragging their feet on the issue, connect the erosion of our democratic space to the unfairness, even undemocratic way we vote, and push for electoral reform, we will continue to be at the mercy of the partisan politics that is destroying our voices at a very fast pace.
The article by By Ian MacLeod, The Ottawa Citizen April 23, 2011, is a good reminder.
Proportional representation seen as a way to make more votes count by critics of first-past-the-post
By Ian MacLeod, The Ottawa Citizen April 23, 2011
The Conservatives could win 69 fewer seats if an election were held today and Canada used proportional representation (PR) rather than the existing first-past-the-post (FPP) electoral system, according to an analysis of the latest poll results.
That's reason enough not to expect any federal government to switch to what many believe is a fairer system that rewards almost all votes, not just those that go to winning candidates.
Under the current winner-takeall system, "there are legitimate points of view which are not being heard in the legislature when public policy and legislation are being discussed," says Phil Elder, co-chair of the Alberta-based Democratic Renewal Project. "That's absolutely unacceptable because it closes the door to the democratic participation of a group which has acquired a voting base."
Please read the rest of the article:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Call+reform+gets+louder/4663550/story.html
Some form of PR is used by most of the world’s major democracies, including:
- Germany
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Holland
- Greece
- Spain
- Austria
- Australia
- Mexico
- Portugal
- Japan
- Russia
- Italy
- Ireland
- Israel
- Poland
- Hungary
- New Zealand
- Iceland
- Brazil
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Finland
- Venezuela
and more
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