Openness to Electoral Reform

Fair Vote Canada Saskatchewan Chapter's participation in the Prince Albert Street Fair was inspiring. Also thrilled that we were selected as a focus by Matt Gardner of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. Read his article "Fair Vote Canada Talks Electoral Reform at Street Fair".
To generalize, there were three reactions. One, individuals who had heard of proportional representation would walk up, smile, and sign the petition. Two, individuals who had not heard or proportional representation and thought it sounded better than the current system who were comfortable signing. Three, individuals who had not heard of proportional representation and thought it sounded better but who wanted to learn more before signing.  
I appreciated the pre-voter who was very interested and inspired a lively conversation by asking if proportional representation gives us an opportunity to have a say in who becomes Prime Minister. Even the one nay-sayer was not against proportional representation but appeared more disillusioned that any reform would suffice. What really made my day was the individual whose eyes lit up at having found another reason to hope that others were actively working on a shift towards a better democracy.  

Caption for photo: Even fools know to support proportional representation.
I also encouraged everyone to check out the "edutaining" videos at FairVote.ca contest to learn the basics.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0dYpVCw9bYWQIuI1pr0L-ptCk5EpWYn
Nancy Carswell
Co-spokesperson FVC Saskatchewan Chapter

Why FPTP Does the Robocallers’ Job for Them

The 2011 Federal election left many Canadians stunned. The scandal’s epicentre was Guelph, Ontario - a city with an active left-of-centre political consciousness. Progressive Conservative (PC) party members besieged voters loyal to other parties with an extensive voter suppression initiative – the Robocall scandal.
A group of eight individuals backed by the Council of Canadians has brought the 2011 election fraud case to the Federal Court. In a ruling just two weeks ago, Justice Richard Mosley concluded that, “electoral fraud occurred.” In light of these realities, the Council of Canadians is amping up its pro-democracy campaign. On May 31 the Council launched a national petition to increase support for (1) a public inquiry into election fraud and, (2) a comprehensive electoral reform project. Sign the petition here: http://canadians.org/election/petition.html
As a first time voter in the 2011 election, I voted for the Liberals. My allegiance was to the NDP but I didn’t want to split the vote. I felt like a phony participant – a cog in a wheel that didn’t look like democracy. The first-past-the-post (FPTP) system corrupts partisan alignment for those just entering the fold of civic engagement. There is little point having convictions or even becoming informed when you feel the need to vote strategically.
Robocaller members of the PC party did themselves a double disservice. They committed election fraud, but they also wasted their time. The FPTP electoral system continues to do their “progressive-voter-deterring” job for them… and in fact discourages any political expression departing from “Liberal” and “Conservative” partisan ideologies.
Guest Blogger Emma Wilson, Guelph, Ontario