Parliament and democracy in the 21st century: the case for proportional representation.

• Author: Nystrom, Lorne
• Position: Guest Editorial - Current electoral district system outmoded - Editorial

In the 20th century, advocates of democratic reform fought to ensure that all Canadians had the right to vote. The long battle for women's suffrage was won in 1920 when Canadian women finally gained the right to vote. First Nations people finally won recognition of their right to cast a ballot in federal elections in 1960. Advocates of universal suffrage relied on an important but basic principle--the be lief that every Canadian counted, and that they had a right to have their views taken into account in governing the affairs of the nation.

Unfortunately, under our present electoral system, the votes of most Canadians do not count. Most Canadians vote for candidates and parties that don't win elections. As a result, they have no say over the direction of our country. Some may consider this to be a sweeping statement, an unfair indictment of our present electoral system. But let us look at the facts.

The current system divides Canada into 301 separate contests, each of which can be won with less than half the votes cast. A candidate can get elected if he or she gets just one vote more than his or closest rival, even if 70% of his or her constituents voted for somebody else. Parties can, and usually do, win majority governments--which give them 100% of the power--with less than 50% of the vote. Votes for candidates who do not win are basically wasted.

Voters know that. As a result, many cast their ballots strategically against candidates and parties they do not like, rather than voting for parties and candidates that they do. The result: politics and the democratic process are devalued--reduced to a game where the objective is to defeat the enemy--when democracy should be about making choices, advocating progress and building a better country.

The growing lack of faith in the political process can be seen most clearly in the declining rate of participation in general elections. In 1968, 80% of eligible voters cast a ballot. In November 2000, barely 60% bothered to vote. To be sure, there are fluctuations from one election to another. But the downward trend is clear.

The lack of faith in politics can be seen, too, in the number of Canadians who have chosen participation in interest groups and citizens' groups as their primary outlet for political involvement. These groups are an important and valuable part of the democratic debate in our society. They provide new ideas and are a means for citizens to shape public debate. But I cannot help but...