Make better use of your often unused power

Help change Canada into a more representative democracy, in which our parliamentarians focus on good governance between elections, without this political gamesmanship that is at least partially caused by Canada’s present electoral system

Many Canadians have expressed Canada’s need for a more representative democracy, but see no way to make it happen because any change must come through our Members of Parliament.

However, how can we expect our MPs to do what we want if we don’t personally tell them what we want. As Ed Tritscher, personal friend, said, “We need to tell them ourselves; too often we leave important things like this to our neighbours, but our neighbors leave it to their neighbours. There are often few, if any, neighbours who act on these important concerns.”

Leave a very positive legacy to your children by giving enough of your time to send a letter, fax or e-mail, or make a phone call to your MP expressing your concern. Tell him that you want an electoral system that gives voters confidence that their vote will count in a meaningful way. As he probably knows, under Canada’s present system, 50 per cent of the people who vote have no effect on the election outcome. Ask him what they will do about your concern about Canada becoming a more representative democracy.

Canada can become a

more representative democracy

A new combination electoral system was developed from the feedback of friends and associates interested in contributing their knowledge, skills and encouragement to help improve Canada’s electoral system. We want Canadian citizens to feel that their votes have value. This system also responds to the concerns expressed by the people of BC and Ontario who rejected the proposed system changes that were presented in their provincial referendums.

This system would have greatly increased the number of voters whose votes would have counted in a meaningful way in Canada’s 2006 and 2008 elections.

This newly developed system would result in:

1) More satisfying election experiences for almost all electors, candidates, and supporters.

Some satisfaction would even exist for nonwinning candidates and their supporters, because their efforts could have helped a same-party candidate from their area win a proportional seat. 

2) A far more representative democracy in Canada.

Voter effectiveness (being able to point to an elected member whom your vote helped to elect) would increase from approximately 50 per cent to 90 per cent under this proposed system. 

And only one additional seat would be required in Canada’s North to increase the effectiveness of Canada’s voters in all areas of Canada.

3) Opportunity for more effective governance in Canada.

With almost certainty, both Government and Opposition would be represented in all areas of Canada.

This proposed system would almost always result in a minority government, which would give legislators more reason to work together effectively, negotiating to produce legislation for the benefit of society as a whole.

Elections would not be called in hopes of gaining a majority government, because more than 50 per cent of votes would be required to win total power.

Without majority governments, abuse of power would be far less likely to occur.

4) This system would be especially easy to implement in countries and jurisdictions now using the first-past-the-post electoral system, because necessary boundary work would be very limited.

If you would like your children to be able to vote with their hearts and minds and have a good chance of being able to point to an MP whom their vote helped to elect, tell your MP.

Better yet, also tell your MLA.

Summer is when most, if not all, MPs and MLAs are looking for feedback from constituents.

For more, see HYPERLINK “http://www.electoralchange.ca/” n _blankwww.electoralchange.ca, and go to LINKS where you can choose your topics of interest.

David Brekke,

former federal returning officer

Whitehorse