Toronto Star columnist Thomas Walkom is speaking out against electoral reform, and he's warning the left that proportional representation isn't all that it's cracked up to be. In fact, he warns that a move to PR could spell the end of the NDP in Ontario. He notes that "What the dreamers too often forget, however, is that changing the rules changes everything. If proportional representation had been in play in the last provincial election, there is no guarantee that the NDP would have won 15 per cent of the votes cast. Indeed, there is no guarantee that the NDP, in its current form, would have existed."
To support his claim, he draws on New Zealand, a country which changed its electoral system from FPTP to PR in 1996, and saw the political left fracture and the subsequent election of a right-wing coalition. Walkom suspects that same could happen in Ontario.
"The New Zealand experience holds several lessons for Ontario, and in particular for the province's left. First, expect existing parties to fracture. The NDP alone could spin off a radical socialist party, a trade union party, a market-friendly party and a northern party."
While Walkom uses this dark scenario to wean leftists off PR, it makes me want it even more. Seeing the NDP fracture into a socialist party and a trade union would be great. Then we would have a two true leftist parties in Ontario. As for the creation of a market-friendly party, I'd have no problem in seeing right-wing dippers go it alone. It's not as if the current NDP has much clout anyways.
But isn't Walkom forgetting something? Perhaps a right-wing fracture. The neo-cons and theo-cons may also spilt apart.
And if Walkom tries to scare the left away from PR by drawing on the right-wing coalition which took power in New Zealand in 1996 (and has yet to govern since the 1999 election), we should remember that FPTP led to two Mike Harris terms. It doesn't get much worse than that. I think I'll take my chance with PR, thank you very much.
Read Walkom's full article here
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4 comments:
Mike Harris is the main reason as to why I want reform as well. It's what I'm going to say to everyone who questions it.
As an Albertan, I think the dangers of FPTP are very, very clear. We've had a false majority for way too long.
However, I don't think that Walkom really understands PR. The implications of splits under that system are far less dire than under FPTP. And a co-altion between several left parties who have the freedom to be true to themselves and let votes fall where they may before determining the make-up of any such co-alition would be great.
Voting reform is needed in Ontario as well as the other provinces. Beware of the opponents who say that they do not like the specifics of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). Those who oppose MMP most likely oppose all forms of proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote, Open List, Closed List, provincial or regional lists).
I support the MMP voting reform as proposed by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly, not to get more NDPers and Greens elected, but to have Ontarians' representation better reflected in the legislature. If that means more NDPers and Greens, so be it. If it means a few members from the Family Coalition Party, so be it. As Walkom suggests, if it means that voters will leave the NDP and choose other parties, so be it. If it means fewer or more Liberals or Conservatives get elected, so be it.
As a right-wing dipper, I'd welcome this fracturing as well, and as Kuri pointed out, we could just form coalitions to get common policies through (after the election of course, as IP would make sure to point out)
Actually, this inspires me to write a post...
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