Another unbalanced legislature demonstrates need for electoral reform
TORONTO – October 11, 2007: Yesterday's Ontario election once
again produced results mismatched with voter preferences, and a phony-majority
government facing a weaker opposition than Ontarians voted for.
The 58 per cent of Ontarians who voted for opposition parties
received only 33 per cent of the seats, significantly weakening the checks and
balances needed for accountable and effective government. Meanwhile, the party
receiving just 42 per cent of the vote has been given a false "mandate" to act
as though it enjoyed majority support of the electorate.
"This week's election results in both Ontario and Newfoundland
underline the need for the electoral reform process to continue in Ontario and
across Canada," said Rick Anderson chair of Vote for MMP, the campaign that
supported the mixed member proportional alternative proposed by the Ontario
Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.
Had the mixed member proportional (MMP) system proposed in the
referendum been used in this election, with similar voting patterns the
resulting Legislature would have been very different, and more in line with
voters' choices:
- The Liberals' 42% would have earned approximately 59 seats,
rather than 71.
- The Progressive Conservatives would have had about 39 seats,
rather than 26. As in 2003, the Tories would have gained more under MMP than any
other party and been much better able to provide numerically-effective
opposition to the Government
- The NDP would have had about 21 seats rather than 10.
- The Green Party, whose 352,000 voters are today totally
unrepresented in the Legislature, would have earned about 10 seats.
Anderson cautioned against the usual overstatement of the
re-elected government's "mandate". "Many more Ontarians voted for the other
three parties - for the Progressive Conservatives, NDP and Greens - than voted
for the Government," said Anderson.
"Likewise, Newfoundlanders are now cursed with a wildly
unbalanced Legislature and unopposed government, where the 30% of voters who
voted for the opposition received only 8% of the seats - and the Government has
a totally free hand to do as it will. This is no way to practice democratic
governance."
“Unfortunately, Ontario's historic referendum opportunity was
marred by a pathetically-inadequate public education campaign by the Legislature
and Elections Ontario. A cornerstone of democratic decision-making is the
concept of an 'informed voter'. But neither the Legislature nor EO ensured that
voters had the substance of the Citizens Assembly’s report," said Anderson.
"Instead, voters had little or no information, coupled with a great deal of
misinformation from opponents of reform.”
Anderson also noted that those who cast votes for the status quo
are not only voters who actually support the antiquated first-past-the-post
system. Included in that tally are those who felt they had far too little
information to vote for something new and those who actually support electoral
reform, but would like to see a proportional system with different features.
Anderson said last night’s referendum result is more a delay
than defeat for those who want to see a new voting system that gives voters more
choice, fairer results and stronger democratic representation.
“Several days ago, a poll illustrated a huge generational divide
on the electoral reform issue. Had this referendum been limited to voters
between ages 18 and 34, we would have easily exceeded the 60% threshold,
according to the poll. The younger generation is clearly not going to tolerate
the antiquated political machinery of a bygone era,” said Anderson. “Electoral
reform is now on the agenda of the nation and even skeptics, such as Professor
Nelson Wiseman, concede that the introduction of proportional voting in Canada
is now just a matter of time.”
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Contact:
Larry Gordon, Campaign Manager, Vote for MMP: 647-519-7585
Rick Anderson, Campaign Chair, Vote for MMP: rick@asci.ca
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