Editor:
After an election in which 9,093,630 ( 51.8 per cent) votes went nowhere. They were counted but do not count under “Winner-takes-all” voting system.
Across the country: 93.88 per cent Green Party voters could not elect a representative; 76.78 per cent Bloc voters could not elect a representative; 74.5 per cent NDP voters could not elect a representative; 50.98 per cent Conservative could not elect a representative and 33.49 per cent Liberal voters could not elect a representative.
Over 500 Canadian academics including Fellows of Royal Society of Canada plus 29 Research Chairs and two Professors with Order of Canada, call for all parties to work together to bring in a proportional electoral system. We pride ourselves as being democratic but in each federal election only about 40 per cent of votes cast get used under our “Winner-takes-all” system. In areas where probability is likely towards a one party win, all other voters are disenfranchised. Many times resulting in low, “what is the use” turnout.
In Simcoe-Grey, Dr. Leitch had a good win and has to be congratulated, but many votes cast were just discarded.
Similarly in areas where Liberal or NDP candidates won the day thousands of Conservative voters were disenfranchised – their votes did not count – they have no voice. Surely a change from an archaic voting system is needed.
Ray Jackson,
Mulmur.