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Opinion: The Charter challenge of first-past-the-post could lead to a better electoral system | The Globe and Mail

Opinion: The Charter challenge of first-past-the-post could lead to a better electoral system

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-charter-challenge-of-first-past-the-post-could-lead-to-a-better/

The Ontario Superior Court will soon assess the constitutionality of our current electoral system, which has contributed to a significant imbalance among the branches of government

Opinion: The Charter challenge of first-past-the-post could lead to a better electoral system

The Ontario Superior Court will soon assess the constitutionality of our current electoral system, which has contributed to a significant imbalance among the branches of government

4 comments

Six

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I am a huge advocate of changing electoral systems, but I don't think this case is going to get far.

The Ontario Superior Court will soon hear a Charter challenge against our first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system by a pair of civil society organizations, Springtide and Fair Voting BC. As it hears that case, it should carefully consider how the way we vote (that is, how governments are held accountable to voters) affects the separation of powers (the accountability between branches of government).

The other issue often comes to how to get to some alternate system from here. Technically, the House of Commons or any provincial legislature can just pass a bill that changes the system. Granted, governments seem hesitant to do so without public consultation or a referendum first. That has been the point of failure every single time whenever a province attempts to do so.

Thus, if we are reliant on a referendum, it would take a long campaign to inform and normalize systems that are not 'First Past the Post' (Single Member Plurality). When people are uninformed, they get doubtful, and wish to conserve what they currently have. I suspect it would be a decade or more of informing the public and popularizing systems.

Voroxpete

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I think our best shot is to try to get fairer voting systems implemented at the provincial (or even municipal) level and use that as a way to build up knowledge and acceptance.

And you're absolutely right that educating the public is a big part of that.

johnefrancis

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I agree with the problems of FPTP, but it's been in place since the beginning of Canada. Is the argument that its been unconstitutional always? Since the CCRF?

Maybe it's not FPTP that's unconstitutional, but how the parties operate. But again, the parties have been around forever too.

I'm glad they're taking a run at it

ImplyingImplications

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The First Past the Post voting system is inherently flawed, but it takes a while for those flaws to become clear. CGP Grey has a great video discussing it.

Essentially, first past the post encourages strategic voting where you vote not for the party you support, but against the party you dislike. Strategic voters will vote for whatever party has the biggest chance of beating out the disliked party. This will inevitably lead to a de facto two party system where power flip flops back and forth between two terrible parties that don't represent the political interests of the population at all, as voters become forced into choosing between the lesser of two evils.