A former member of Parliament from Manitoba once said that voting in a federal election was about 45 per cent for the leader, 45 per cent for the party and 10 per cent for the candidate. And that was being generous to the candidate, he said, taking another sip because he was a Tory under Brian Mulroney.
Despite its major flaws, the system does give an opportunity to the voters in every riding in Canada to choose the candidate they want, and out of that process we get a government.
The derogatory “first past the post” critique of the system used by proportional representation advocates is misleading. Each riding’s majority elects a candidate and gets that candidate, complete with party and platform. If a political party receives 12 per cent of the vote nationwide but only wins one seat, it’s because there was only one riding in the country where the majority of voters elected a candidate of that party to represent their interests. Each riding by its majority represents the country.
Some political activists are calling for strategic voting in this election, to take down Harper by whatever means necessary. They seem to be NDPers and Greens who will hold their noses and vote Liberal if the polls suggest a Liberal win, or Liberals and Greens who will hold their noses and vote NDP if the polls point that way. Or something. It’s like a hockey pool. A very shallow pool.
Even though one organization on the Sunshine Coast held an “all-candidates” meeting back in June, nominations for the 2015 federal election won’t close until Sept. 28. In 2011, there were nine candidates on the ballot in the riding. While the four name party franchises predictably took most of the votes, other options were on the table. Finishing fifth, for instance, was educator Roger Lagassé, a well-known peacenik with views on Canada’s role in NATO that diverge sharply from the mainstream. Depending on the mood of voters, a candidate like Lagassé could collect far more than the 300-odd votes he received four years ago. Who’s to presume otherwise?
Prudent voters should weigh each candidate in their riding carefully before making a choice. Look at each person’s character, intelligence and priorities, and review their party’s platforms. Most of all, don’t get caught up in all the TV hoopla about the leaders.
We don’t elect presidents in Canada, so let’s not pretend.
