Dwindling resources, staff shortages and burnout among Ontario health-care workers are just a few of the problems plaguing the province during the most recent wave of COVID-19. With our critical care system under stress, many are wondering why the Ford government has been slow to act on the recommendations of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups, and Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table to address the system’s shortcomings.
While there have been allegations that politics appears to be influencing public health recommendations, the problems with our healthcare system run deeper than just the response of the current government as hospital capacity and infrastructure investment by previous governing parties have been out of line with the province’s growing and aging population for quite some time.
What this consistent pattern of neglect reveals is the inability of our political system to be responsive to the needs of the public. This is primarily due to the “winner-controls-all” nature of our incompetent electoral system: First Past the Post.
With one party in each riding having control over which concerns and needs are raised in Queen’s Park, large swaths of Ontario’s population are left without a voice in the legislature. This results in whole political communities being denied the public service of representation: the means of bringing community concerns to the table. This effect is compounded when one party has absolute power in the legislature, giving them complete control over public coffers and the ability to choose where and when to turn the taps on.
Such an effect is currently unfolding with Ford’s false majority government (won with 40 per cent of the vote) but was also evident during Wynne’s 2014 false majority government (39 per cent of the vote) and the other false majority governments that preceded hers.
Time and time again, it’s proven the safest communities are the ones with the most resources. If the role of representation is to identify needs and help allocate funds, then political communities without representation lack the protection that comes with having power in the legislature.
It’s now abundantly clear that neglect is a feature of First Past the Post and other “winner-controls-all” electoral systems. If it’s the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from neglect, then all political communities should have the representation they need to advocate for such protection.
This state of empowerment is possible but only through the implementation of Proportional Representation.
Donations Needed: Help us stop Del Duca’s ranked ballot power grab
We need your help to get the message out that winner-take-all ranked ballots are not proportional! Canadians want fair results and cooperative government—not another power grab.
Your generous donation will help ensure we have the resources to reach more people and to pressure our political parties for real reform and voter equality.
Attend ‘PR 101’ on Saturday, January 15th
New to proportional representation, or want to know what’s wrong with winner-take-all systems?
Join Fair Vote Canada for PR 101: a half hour presentation followed by Q&A held on the 15th of every month.
To register for any of the upcoming sessions, please click here.
Electoral Reform in the News
Several citizens have made their voices heard on electoral reform and proportional representation lately. Here’s what they have to say:
- Dave Dale | Ontario needs an independent panel to change our electoral system.
- Ann Douglas | Connecting Green Wishes and PR
- Vivian Unger | Trudeau’s broken promises on electoral reform fuel cynicism
As we enter another election year in Ontario, let’s not forget the province isn’t the only place impacted by our unrepresentative electoral system.
In fact, only two Provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, have governments that were elected with a majority of the vote.
The next closest are British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador with 48% majorities. Meanwhile, Quebec comes in last with a dismal 37% majority.
This year, let’s all agree that you shouldn’t be able to win a majority of the seats unless you have a majority of the vote.