A reader took a few minutes yesterday to remind Babel-on-the-Bay that referenda are not legally binding on governments in Canada. And neither, for that matter, are opinion polls.
But the point is that we live in a democracy and in a democracy where our representatives are chosen to rule for us, not to rule us. It is very wrong to ever suggest that the persons in government can just ‘get on with the job’ without considering the wishes of both the majority and the minorities who are their constituents. When our governments hold a plebiscite, it is on a question of wide-ranging and long-term impact. The result of a referendum is not legally binding but government ignores the result at its peril.
How we vote is that type of question. Anyone who has ever studied the various voting systems in use around the world realizes that there are very specific effects of the various systems on a democracy. What we might consider to be a simple and safe solution can potentially change our country forever.
In his frustration with our first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting, Justin Trudeau has made some very naïve promises about changing how we vote. And there are some people who would also be happier if he had picked someone with more political experience as minister for democratic institutions. It is going to take a very level-headed person to manage the zoo that is going to develop in a properly conducted and thorough examination of both the Senate of Canada and how to improve how Canadians vote.
The problem with the senate is one that really needs to be on the table when we finally reopen the constitution. Until then anything that can be done will be patchwork.
How Canadians vote is not a constitutional question. It deals with the custom inherited from the British Parliament of FPTP elections. When you have more than two people contending in the election, FPTP can create anomalies. Many people are displeased with the idea of only needing a plurality to win. It is only when you study alternative systems of voting that you realize they each have their own anomalies. Nobody is really happy with the expense of run-off elections or the problems with preferential voting (also known as a transferable vote) but there are potential solutions to that.
What we really need in considering these questions is people with open minds. You simply cannot consider solutions to the voting system until you have a clear idea of why you want to change it and what really are the options available. This is not as simple as people think.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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