Here's what the result would have been with a nation-wide proportional system from Fair Vote Canada.
Conservatives - 38% of the popular vote: 117 seats (not 143)I don't favor such a system. I like the Mixed Member Proportional MMP) system based on provinces.
Liberals - 26% of the popular vote: 81 seats (not 76)
NDP - 18% of the popular vote: 57 seats (not 37)
Bloc - 10% of the popular vote: 28 seats (not 50)
Greens - 7% of the popular vote: 23 seats (not 0)
The British Columbia referendum on the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for provincial elections is set for May 12, 2009. 58% of voters supported the new voting system in the last referendum (2005). This was just short of the required 60%. It is very likely that the new proportional system will be adopted this time around, making British Columbia the first of many provinces to enter the 21st century.
8 comments :
So I never heard who won in your riding. We were discussing your strategic voting decision before the election and I was wondering how it worked out for you.
"Here's what the result would have been with a nation-wide proportional system"
And that's assuming that people would have voted the same way under a proportional (or STV or MMP) system. Take a look at the Green party vote - they got 7% of the popular despite having virtually no chance of actually electing a representative. Would more people vote for them if their votes would count? I think so.
If it passes, the STV could result in some "kooks" being elected (will we be seeing Mark Emery, MLA Marijuana Party?) but what the hell, all sides would have a voice and minority governments don't push through so much ideological crap.
I support some form of MMP system as well, although not identical to the one that the Elections Canada report proposed with the Provinces being ridings (except Ontario and Quebec which got split into multiple ridings each). Personally I think we should amalgamate some ridings to have a fewer number of ridings and have the Party lists operating on either the riding or Provincial level and try to keep it right around 308, maybe a little bit higher overall.
How the lists are compiled is a big thing too and I think there should be more than just party input on that but there are a wide variety of maintaining party lists that means that List MPs are still beholden to a constituency in some form or another.
An important question, in my opinion, would be what proportional representation would do to the 40-41% who did not vote this time around?
See http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/15/voter-turnout.html
The comments below that article showed a lot of people disillusioned by our "first past the post" system.
Brain asks,
So I never heard who won in your riding.
See comments on Strategic Voting.
tyro said that "the STV could result in some "kooks" being elected."
Not very likely. MMP is more likely to have "kooks" elected than STV, unless the number of seats to be elected by STV in a riding is very large.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC-STV
I am a supporter of STV. It is a proportional system that, federally, would be campatible with the constitution.
I similarly commented about this earlier on this blog.
http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2007/10/toronto-star-defends-its-editorial.html
FPP is undemocratic. PR would be better or some hybrid system that results in constituency representation in an over-all PR division between parties.
Of course no electoral system will create a political culture that favours ecosystems and habitats over environmental degradation and destruction through economic and population growth.
So far it is fair to conclude that a very large majority of Canadians prefer:
1) a weighted electoral system that gives power to minorities and
2) environmental degradation and destruction.
Few people actually favour destruction and degradation.
They just don't believe there is the possibility that it could happen on a terrible scale.
They've been taught this comforting thought. Unlearning it is difficult and painful, often socially problematic, and completely voluntary.
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