When governments can ignore most voters and still win, they can ignore entire generations too. Students pay the price. Proportional representation makes every vote count and every group harder to dismiss.

Ontario keeps bouncing between single party majority governments built on less than 50% of the vote. That is not stability. It is policy whiplash. A minority parliament is the moment to fix the rules so every vote counts and no party can rule alone on 40% again.

🗳️ Long past time to update our archaic voting system #cdnpoli @fairvote.ca

In many rural ridings, thousands vote Liberal and get zero representation. That is not a lack of support. It is a design flaw. First-past-the-post turns competitive voters into spectators. Proportional representation would let rural voices actually shape Parliament.

Canada’s big cities are politically diverse, but first-past-the-post flattens that diversity into one party sweeps. Proportional representation would let all urban voices actually shape Parliament.

Young people are told to vote, volunteer, and engage. But first-past-the-post makes it harder for young candidates to win in the first place. Proportional representation lowers the barriers and brings youth voices into Parliament. That changes what gets prioritized.

Canada does not just have a housing crisis. We have an incentive crisis. First-past-the-post shapes who politicians need to please to win. And that distorts housing policy from the start. Here is how the electoral system makes reform harder. 1/10

At the debate, @avilewis.ca said that if the NDP holds the balance of power, the demand should be changing the electoral system. Thank you for raising it. 36% of the vote should not mean absolute power. Proportional representation fixes that.

At the NDP leadership debate, @tonymcquailndp.bsky.social raised ending first-past-the-post and called it a handicap that distorts representation. Thank you Tony for putting electoral reform on the table. Proportional representation ensures seats match votes.

At the leadership debate, @heathermcpherson.bsky.social said the key piece we need to fix is our electoral system. Thank you for raising electoral reform. Proportional representation encourages cooperation and reflects how Canadians vote.

At the NDP debate, @votetanille.bsky.social highlighted how similar vote totals can produce wildly different seat counts. Thank you for raising this. That distortion is first-past-the-post in action. Proportional representation aligns seats with votes.

At the debate, @rob-for-ndp-leader.bsky.social included a new electoral system among the changes Canadians want. Thank you for raising electoral reform. Under first-past-the-post, votes do not translate fairly into seats. Proportional representation would fix that.

In 2015, we produced a video with York University professor Denis Pilon explaining how Mixed Member Proportional could work in Canada. Ten years later, the case is even clearer. We need consensus and collaboration, not unchecked power won in a few swing ridings. youtu.be/D3guVBhKmDc

When a single party can win full power with 40% of the vote, oversight becomes optional. That is not stability, that is concentration of power. Proportional representation forces agreement across parties before watchdogs can be weakened.

Thank you to @tonymcquailndp.bsky.social for putting proportional representation at the centre of the NDP leadership debate. Calling out 38 to 40% false majorities takes courage. Canada deserves a voting system where seats actually reflect how people vote.

Student debt decisions should reflect what most Ontarians want, not what 40% can push through. Proportional representation means broad support, negotiation, and fewer sudden policy shifts that leave students owing more.

If electoral systems shape public policy, then proportional representation matters for the places we live. Proportional systems make it easier for pro transit and smart growth politics to gain traction, creating communities where walking and cycling are real options.

Scholars are warning that first-past-the-post is structurally unstable in fragmented party systems. If 30% can win total control, democracy is out of balance. Proportional representation updates our rules so governments reflect how people actually vote.

When the biggest parties can quietly agree to weaken privacy rules for themselves, something is broken. That is not healthy competition, it is concentrated power. Proportional representation would force real scrutiny and make backroom alignment much riskier.

A government can win 40% of the vote and 100% of the power. That is not majority rule. It is a flaw of first-past-the-post. When big decisions about student debt are on the line, power should reflect how people actually voted. That is what proportional representation delivers.

Close elections are not the problem. The problem is a system where thousands of voters can be left without a voice because their party finished second. In a proportional system, votes across Terrebonne would shape seats. No community’s voice would hinge on a single envelope.

As @beynate.bsky.social plans to run for @ontarioliberal.bsky.social leader, we remember his 2019 Fair Vote Canada AGM speech backing proportional representation. Liberals came second in votes but third in seats. Ford governs with 40%. We urge all candidates to back a better democracy.

Minority governments are not the problem. The problem is a system where 35% to 40% of the vote can turn into total control. That incentive fuels early elections and brinkmanship. Proportional representation removes the jackpot and rewards cooperation instead.

We hoped to see progress on proportional representation in these talks. While that did not happen, we are encouraged to see leaders keep the conversation alive. Thank you to the BC Greens for standing up for a better democracy. The work continues.

When 40% of voters can deliver near total power, accountability collapses. Majority governments without majority support are not stability, they are insulation from consequences. Pro-Rep forces governments to earn broad support and makes abuse of power harder to hide.

South Africa’s democratic transition shows why proportional representation matters. When every major group knows its vote will count, elections reduce fear, lower tensions, and make peaceful change possible. Winner-take-all systems do the opposite.

Extremes do not need majority support to gain power in winner-take-all systems. They just need to capture one party. Proportional representation changes that incentive structure and reduces the payoff of takeover politics.

Major infrastructure failures are rarely just technical. They are political. When one party controls the legislature with 40% of the vote, scrutiny disappears. Proportional representation keeps multiple parties at the table and makes hiding mistakes far harder.

When more voters see their views reflected in parliament, trust goes up. Systems that turn votes into seats fairly give people a reason to believe participation matters. That is a powerful argument for proportional representation.

Electoral systems shape how power is exercised. When governments need broad support to govern, conflict is more likely to be handled through negotiation and compromise instead of repression. Proportional representation changes the incentives.

If your riding is labeled safe, your vote gets ignored. That is true for many rural communities today. Proportional representation forces parties to compete for support in every region because no vote is wasted.

Look at what changes under proportional representation. Votes count in every region, regional monopolies lose their grip, and governing requires real majority support. That is a healthier democracy than winner take all politics.

Glad to see @rob-for-ndp-leader.bsky.social speaking clearly about what voters already know. When Parliament does not reflect how people vote, democracy suffers. Proportional representation is the fix.

Paid leave did not happen by accident. Countries with proportional representation are more likely to pass worker friendly policies because governments must earn broad support, not just win a few swing ridings. Systems shape outcomes.

The United States shows what happens when first-past-the-post locks politics into two-party trench warfare. Small vote shifts create total control. That is not stability. Proportional representation reduces all or nothing outcomes and reflects voters more accurately.

Geography should not decide whose vote matters. First-past-the-post rewards concentration, not support. Proportional representation means political diversity is represented everywhere, including cities and regions written off as safe.

Ontario didn’t lose an Eglinton subway because plans were bad. It lost it because first-past-the-post lets parties with minority support win total power and reverse major projects overnight. Proportional representation makes long term planning possible.

When a party can govern alone without majority support, closing ranks becomes easier than opening doors. Electoral systems that reflect how people actually vote raise the political cost of secrecy. Proportional representation does that.

Low turnout and rising cynicism are symptoms of a system that wastes votes. Proportional representation gives people a reason to show up, because outcomes finally match how we vote. A Citizens’ Assembly is how British Columbia can rebuild trust and move forward.

Refreshing to see electoral reform treated as the democratic emergency it is. Proportional representation is not abstract theory. It is how we stop minority rule and make every vote count.

New research links rising urban rural polarization to winner take all systems like first-past-the-post. When politics is forced into two camps, geography turns into identity. Proportional representation lowers the temperature by making more votes count.

Democracy works best when outcomes reflect how people actually voted. Proportional representation does that and encourages cooperation instead of winner take all politics. British Columbia has a real opportunity to move forward if leaders choose to act.

If the old order is not coming back, our elections cannot stay stuck in it. First-past-the-post no longer reflects how Canada votes. Proportional representation is how we build something better and stronger.

This is the core issue: our system can hand full power to a party that most voters didn’t choose. That makes politics feel like damage control instead of representation. Appreciate @avilewis.ca naming that clearly with @rachelgilmore.bsky.social.

Canadians are clear about the kind of partners they trust internationally. Countries that use proportional representation deliver stability, cooperation, and accountability. If we value those qualities abroad, we should expect them at home too.

The next NDP leader may determine whether proportional representation finally happens. Some candidates are clear and vocal. Others are not. Our comparison chart shows what each candidate has actually said so you can make their own choice.

Donald Trump’s MAGA Republicans came to power under first-past-the-post. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is on track for a majority with about 30% of the vote. How long do we keep gambling this will not happen here? We need proportional representation.

Once upon a time, 37% was enough to win everything. So the promise of proportional representation was tossed aside. Then the same system delivered the opposite result: zero seats and a resignation. The lesson is simple. Stop gambling. Choose proportional representation.

Some coverage of the @fairvote.ca forum on electoral reform last week. BC Greens MLA @robbotterell.bsky.social was one of the panelists. #bcpoli

Proportional representation is not a leap into the unknown. It is a proven system used around the world, and more Canadians are recognizing that we can make it work too.