Proportional representation (or lack thereof) isn't a left or right, liberal vs conservative issue. It's a Canadian issue, and in the face of threats from the south, we need to stand united🍁
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
80 points (97.6% liked)
Fairvote Canada
465 readers
262 users here now
What is This Group is About?
De Quoi Parle ce Groupe?
The unofficial non-partisan Lemmy movement to bring proportional representation to all levels of government in Canada.
🗳️Voters deserve more choice and accountability from all politicians.
Le mouvement non officiel et non partisan de Lemmy visant à introduire la représentation proportionnelle à tous les niveaux de gouvernement au Canada.
🗳️Les électeurs méritent davantage de choix et de responsabilité de la part de tous les politiciens.
- A Simple Guide to Electoral Systems
- What is First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)?
- What is Proportional Representation (PR)?
- What is a Citizens’ Assembly?
- Why referendums Aren't Necessary
- The 219 Corrupt MPs Who Voted Against Advancing Electoral Reform
Related Communities/Communautés Associées
Resources/Ressources
Official Organizations/Organisations Officielles
- List of Canadian friends of Democracy Bluesky
- Fair Vote Canada: Bluesky
- Fair Voting BC: Bluesky
- Charter Challenge for Fair Voting: Bluesky
- Electoral Renewal Canada: Bluesky
- Vote16: Bluesky
- Longest Ballot Committee: Bluesky
- ~~Make Votes Equal / Make Seats Match Votes~~
- Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto (IRV for municipal elections)
We're looking for more moderators, especially those who are of French and indigenous identities.
Nous recherchons davantage de modérateurs, notamment ceux qui sont d'identité française et autochtone.
founded 9 months ago
MODERATORS
In the case of Alberta, 35% of our seats in the last federal election would have been Liberal or NDP under proportional representation. That's also including the fact that rural (conservative) ridings tend to have about half the people in them as urban ridings, so the rural votes effectively count for twice as much as the urban ones.
It's so frustrating living here.
I cannot see bsky
A copy of the content is in the content of this post.
I don't think the entire infographic is communicated in the prose.
The contents of this post match the contents of what the original poster published... Unless you can't see the infographic?
Is there anywhere else that’s switched to proportional representation, run-off voting, or similar from FPTP? How does it affect things like regional representation. Seems like it creates instances where the candidate from some ridings gets a seat with fewer votes than the other candidate. I think the urban/rural divide is only going to get worse as technology leads to more migration to urban areas even though it’s the rural population that’s taking care of the fundamentals in our economy.
Is there anywhere else that’s switched to proportional representation, run-off voting, or similar from FPTP?
https://www.fairvote.ca/how-democracies-adopted-proportional-representation/
How does it affect things like regional representation
https://www.fairvote.ca/localrepresentation/
For example, if we go with MMP, https://www.fairvote.ca/mixed-member-proportional/
If you prefer a video format, https://youtu.be/D3guVBhKmDc
Seems like it creates instances where the candidate from some ridings gets a seat with fewer votes than the other candidate.
Not too sure what you mean by this, but maybe MMP would give you an idea as to what would happen, and whether the scenario you’re thinking of would actually be possible? Lemme know.
I think the urban/rural divide is only going to get worse as technology leads to more migration to urban areas even though it’s the rural population that’s taking care of the fundamentals in our economy.
I don’t really believe that technology is the leading factor to the migration, but economic factors are. This isn’t to say that our farms aren’t profitable (I believe they are and should be), but there simply are more options of work in urban areas. Given that farms take up a lot of space, population ends up being sparse, and so do economic opportunities. It doesn’t have to stay that way of course, perhaps we could rethink how rural life works, e.g. rural Japan, but that’s not only a change in culture but likely also a multi-year work, so I digress.
PR isn’t one electoral system but more so a principle that some systems follow. So it makes more sense to talk about the different systems that implement PR, and see how they can work for us, or if we can give it a bit of a twist so that it can work for us.
Fairvote has another proposed system that aims at the rural/urban divide: https://www.fairvote.ca/rural-urban-proportional/
Is there anywhere else that’s switched to proportional representation, run-off voting, or similar from FPTP?
New Zealand, Australia.
How does it affect things like regional representation.
Regional representation is mostly the same. Even in the current situation, we can have parachute candidates: candidates that don't come from the region are allowed to put up their name for consideration and be elected. So we don't really have good regional representation to begin with. And if that's the case, regional representation isn't as relevant as people might perceive it to be (that's not to say it isn't important!).
even though it’s the rural population that’s taking care of the fundamentals in our economy.
The economy is far too complex to capture in this statement alone.
...and as everyone knows the value of a human (and therefor the influence they should have over society) is measured in how many dollars they contribute to the economy. that's why our current system of government is so just!
That graphic is not making anything clear...
With another country threatening to annex us, this is about the last thing I feel we should be focusing on. Won't do much fucking good if we don't have a country.
I’m not sure what you mean by not having a country.
Also, the government doesn’t have a singular function. It can work on the threat from the south, and have people look into what needs to be done for electoral reform and even execute it, all while the PM does squats.
What we need is a quick move to come up with a plan to handle an unstable US for the long term. Such a plan may include improving Canada’s own security, and reform our electoral system to prevent demagoguery from the US from taking hold of our government. If the CPC’s earlier lead in the polls is not a red flag for it happening, idk what else is. Far-right, anlt-right, and maga-like rhetoric is here in Canada, and is influenced not just by the Russians and Chinese, but also the USA.
- Please refrain from using curse words, it distracts from the substance of your comment.
- The government is able to focus on multiple priorities at the same time. While threats of another country annexing us are high priority, it doesn't help us that the democratic legitimacy of our government aren't as strong as they could be.
- And how would proportional representation cause us to not have a country? I would say that a minority governing on behalf of the majority, like it is now under FPTP, is ripping the fabric of our country apart.