Censored Dissent: First Past the Post & the Emergencies Act

censored dissent - first past the post and the emergencies act

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history last week, giving law enforcement more authority to remove Freedom Convoy protestors and restrict their funding. The move was quickly denounced by Conservative MPs, with some accusing Trudeau of trying to “crack down on dissent” and claiming the PM wanted to “silence people he despises for disagreeing with him.”

Regardless of your opinion on the issue, it’s easy to see the use of the Emergencies Act is a clear sign of the government’s failure to resolve the protests peacefully. However, Conservatives crying censorship are being a tad hypocritical given the CPC’s support for First Past the Post, an electoral system that does just that.

By restricting Canadians to one representative per riding, FPTP leaves dissenting voters (those who disagree with their MP) without a political voice, effectively denying them the right to be heard in parliament.

In other words, First Past the Post censors dissent.

If such an act of mass political deplatforming were to occur elsewhere in society, it would undoubtedly be met with accusations of “cancel culture” and fought tooth and nail by politicians claiming to stand up for free speech. Judging by their silence on the issue, it would seem securing the “right of every Canadian to be heard in parliament” comes a distant second to these same politicians’ pursuit of absolute power.

No need to fret though as Canadians can overcome this censorship by insisting we abandon “winner-controls-all” politics and move to an electoral system that represents dissent. I’m speaking of course about Proportional Representation.

With its use of multi-member ridings, Proportional Representation has the ability to provide a voice for almost every voter. PR also has the added benefit of promoting political diversity in the legislature and gives more Canadians the power needed to raise their politics in parliament.

In addition, PR has the potential to abate concerns about how laws like the Emergencies Act might be used in the future due to the system producing coalition governments. This means multiple parties would have to work together to form government, ensuring a more consensus based form of decision-making and reducing the likelihood of overreach.

However, all this hinges on Canadians agreeing that everyone has the right to be heard in parliament. Only then will we have the political will needed to adopt an electoral system that provides a voice for dissenting voters.

Economist Democracy Index and “Freedom Convoy” challenges Canada to build an inclusive democracy

economist democracy index and freedom convoy challenges canada to build an inclusive democracy

Canada fell from 5th to 12th place in this year’s Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index.

“Canada’s citizens feel that they have little control over their lives, a sentiment that has been compounded by pandemic-related restrictions on individual freedoms.

Canada’s worsening score raises questions about whether it might begin to suffer from some of the same afflictions as its US neighbour, such as extremely low levels of public trust in political parties and government institutions.”