Bernie Michalik's posterous site

After every Canadian election, I hear people make complaints like: such and
such a party got a large percentage of the vote and got no seats. Usually
said, of course, by the people supporting the losing party. For years it
was right wing Canadians saying that: now I am hearing left wing.

I understand the frustration. But everyone should take a hard look at
alternatives to FPTP. First off, if we had party proportional
representation, there is a very good chance of far right (and left) parties
springing up. Right there you can assume there would be far right parties
sitting in your parliament. So you can look forward to that. You can also
look forward to more minority governments, governments that need to be won
by explicit bargains with those far right parties.

People on the right should not look so smug either. The pendulum swings
both ways, and your turn will come when far left parties hold the balance
of power and will demand things that will be unpalatable to you, to say the
least.

Look at Israel and Italy and many other countries that have such systems.
In this election you had all parties vying for the center: you will see a
lot less of that with party proportional representation. Instead of new
Canadians being embraced, it will be xynophobia being trumpeted.

For some folks, such political radicalism is something to embrace. If so,
you will love party proportional representation. For everyone else, at
least, think again.
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