this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2025
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Fairvote Canada

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The unofficial non-partisan Lemmy movement to bring proportional representation to all levels of government in Canada.

🗳️Voters deserve more choice and accountability from all politicians.


Le mouvement non officiel et non partisan de Lemmy visant à introduire la représentation proportionnelle à tous les niveaux de gouvernement au Canada.

🗳️Les électeurs méritent davantage de choix et de responsabilité de la part de tous les politiciens.




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Now Toronto on Bluesky

#NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is capturing the eyes and hearts of Canadians in a creative and unconventional approach to reel in Gen Z audiences amid election season. #cdnpoli

nowtoronto.com/news/ndp-lea...

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (4 children)

I understand your skepticism about parties following through on proportional representation once in power. It's a legitimate concern given how the Liberals famously promised electoral reform in 2015 then abandoned it after winning.

That said, it's still clearly better to vote for parties that promise proportional representation (Green🟢/NDP🟧/Bloc⚜️) than those that don't support it at all (LPC/CPC). The Conservatives and Liberals have repeatedly demonstrated they benefit from keeping the system broken, and their corporate donors don't want the strong democracy we would have under PR.

The NDP's position is definitely stronger than the Liberals on this issue - they've consistently supported PR and 107 Liberal MPs voted against even creating a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform last year. But you're right that we haven't seen it implemented when provincial NDP governments have had the chance.

I think the problem is deeper than any single leader or party. Our winner-take-all system creates perverse incentives where parties benefit from maintaining a broken system once they're in power. This is precisely why electoral reform needs to be a primary voting issue for more Canadians.

Regarding Jagmeet specifically - I appreciate when politicians try to connect authentically, but I'm also wary of style over substance. The test isn't TikTok skills but whether they'll actually champion democratic principles when given power.

The Green situation with Annamie Paul was truly unfortunate. It's hard to watch parties that support good policies implode through internal conflicts.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Reading the room let us agree that PP is a disgusting figurehead for a party let alone a country and the Conservative Party of Canada is fully embedded with a rot they refuse to address.

We may disagree on policy here and there but I firmly believe we both want what is best for Canada and its citizens.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

We may disagree on policy here

No, we actually do agree on policy: that proportional representation is critical to Canadian democracy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I don't necessarily think it's critical. It's long overdue and would better safeguard our democracy. Our democracy is and was nowhere as fragile as America. That said, it's still fragile and I still worry.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

I appreciate your perspective. While "critical" might sound strong, I'd argue that proportional representation isn't just an improvement but a democratic necessity, especially looking at our trajectory.

Duverger's Law shows that winner-take-all systems inevitably push toward two-party dominance over time. Canada's effective number of parties has been declining (2.76 in 2021), suggesting we're slowly following America's path toward polarized two-party politics.

Our democracy may seem stronger than America's today, but the same structural flaw exists in our electoral system. The difference is largely one of timing, not fundamentals.

The consequences of inaction are significant. Without PR, we're seeing:

  • Millions of votes that have zero effect on election outcomes
  • Policy lurch where each government undoes the work of the previous one
  • Regional polarization as parties focus only on competitive ridings
  • Declining trust in democratic institutions

You're right to worry. The safeguards we need require actual structural reform, not just hoping our political culture stays healthier than America's. That's why I see PR as fundamental rather than just beneficial - it addresses the root cause rather than symptoms.