Decades ago, one of my children visited Saskatchewan’s Legislative Assembly. Expecting to learn about governance and democracy, they were instead appalled by chaos and incivility. Elected officials, who were supposed to represent us with dignity, behaved like squabbling children.
Recent sessions amplify the worst tantrums of past decades. MLA Ken Francis confessed he gets sucked into trash talk almost daily. Speaker Randy Weekes’ final speech alleged threats and harassment from fellow Saskatchewan Party MLAs. He also alleged Deputy Leader Jeremy Harrison brought a gun into the Assembly.
Premier Scott Moe’s response? Weekes is a “sorer loser” and
Moe dismisses the alarming allegations against Harrison as false. No
investigation necessary. He also categorizes the texts to Weekes as “ambitious”
rather than “harassment.” Ambitious? To what purpose? Partisan purposes as the
sender attempts to have the non-partisan speaker favour a side?
The first-past-the-post produced Assembly fosters an environment
where yelling and intimidation mock dialogue and collaboration. Reform with proportional
representation could address these issues. By ensuring that legislative seats
more accurately reflect the diverse views of our population, evidence proves proportional
representation encourages coalition-building and cooperation. Instead of a
winner-takes-all approach that fuels partisanship, this system promotes a more
inclusive and respectful political culture.
Proportional representation offers a path to a more mature and effective legislative process. To improve our democracy in provincial and federal elections, vote for candidates who will enact electoral reform with proportional representation. Learn more at FairVote.ca or facebook.com/FairVoteSask.
