Anti #pr4bc folks need to stop with their hysterical what-ifs and realise that its because of FPTP that extremist parties rise in Canada
There I said it.
The current winner-take-all approach to elections in Canada (and USA for that matter) are responsible for the rise of extremist parties in our country.
FPTP allowed that separatist BQ became Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in 1993 with less than 14% of the vote, while the national, PC party with almost 17% landed only two seats. First Past the Post ("FPTP") gives power to regionalist, special interest parties where any form of proportional voting would give the proper weight to a party based on their actual vote share.
Where extremist parties rise anywhere in the democratic world is because your mainstream parties fail to pick up on rising trends. Spikes in unemployment and income inequality are quickly seized upon by far right and left as evidence that the whole thing is broken; and the only path to salvation is to smash it to bits by voting for parties off the mainstream grid. Extremists always play this message, but in desperate times and little action from the governing parties, it leaves this open field of discontented voter looking for a new home. Far right and left are happy to welcome them in.
The extremists will target immigrants, ethnic minorities, certain religious groups as the reason for all things bad in society. This fringe would form their own party(s) and be easily identifiable (and avoidable) in a proportional system, but in FPTP, they grown under the radar and infect one (or more) of the mainstream parties. This is how the 'tea party' infected the US Republican Party and became what it is now. A FAR CRY from the rational conservative voice of the last half century.
No. A proportional voting system won't make for more extremists, that's what the maintenance of the current FPTP system is doing.
My 2 bits
The current winner-take-all approach to elections in Canada (and USA for that matter) are responsible for the rise of extremist parties in our country.
FPTP allowed that separatist BQ became Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in 1993 with less than 14% of the vote, while the national, PC party with almost 17% landed only two seats. First Past the Post ("FPTP") gives power to regionalist, special interest parties where any form of proportional voting would give the proper weight to a party based on their actual vote share.
Where extremist parties rise anywhere in the democratic world is because your mainstream parties fail to pick up on rising trends. Spikes in unemployment and income inequality are quickly seized upon by far right and left as evidence that the whole thing is broken; and the only path to salvation is to smash it to bits by voting for parties off the mainstream grid. Extremists always play this message, but in desperate times and little action from the governing parties, it leaves this open field of discontented voter looking for a new home. Far right and left are happy to welcome them in.
The extremists will target immigrants, ethnic minorities, certain religious groups as the reason for all things bad in society. This fringe would form their own party(s) and be easily identifiable (and avoidable) in a proportional system, but in FPTP, they grown under the radar and infect one (or more) of the mainstream parties. This is how the 'tea party' infected the US Republican Party and became what it is now. A FAR CRY from the rational conservative voice of the last half century.
No. A proportional voting system won't make for more extremists, that's what the maintenance of the current FPTP system is doing.
My 2 bits
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