"In a democratic government, the right of decision belongs to the majority, but the right of representation belongs to all." - Ernest Naville, 1865

What's wrong with elections in Nova Scotia?

The electoral system in Nova Scotia is the same as it is elsewhere in Canada and is called first-past-the-post. In the near future we will be presenting information about how this unfair system hurts Nova Scotians specifically but for now our illustrations will be based on how it effects the country as a whole. Consider the following examples from the 2004 federal election:

• a half-million Green party voters across the country elected nobody, while fewer than half-million Liberal voters in Atlantic Canada elected 22 MPs
• the NDP received more votes than the Bloc, but the Bloc gained nearly three times as many seats
• in the prairie provinces, Liberals cast half as many votes as Conservatives but the Conservatives elected seven times as many MPs
• 13 Conservative MPs were elected in Saskatchewan and none in Quebec, even though significantly more people voted Conservative in Quebec than in Saskatchewan.

Do these results sound right to you? No? Well they are typical of elections taking place right across this country, federally and provincially.

What should a fair voting system do? It should ensure that Parliament or the Legislature is a true reflection of what the citizens have said at the ballot box. But, is this what we get? No we don't! What we do get from our First-Past-The-Post ("FPTP") system are distortions such as:

• Phony "majority" governments - In the 1999 Nova Scotia election, Conservatives got 39.2% of the vote but ended up with 57.7% of the seats. Similarly in 2003, the federal Liberals got 42% of the votes but 57% of the seats.
• Exaggerated majorities - In 2003, the Prince Edward Island Conservatives won 54% of the vote but received 85% of the seats. The Liberals had similar results in 1993 with 54% of the vote and 97% of the seats. (Conservatives received only 1 opposition seat with 39% of the vote)
• Second place majorities - In the 1998 Quebec provincial election, the PQ got 43% of the votes and 61% of the seats while the Liberals got 44% of the vote but only 38% of the seats

Votes are not equal. - This is another consequence of the FPTP system. In 2000, the average vote per party to gain one seat in Parliament was:

     1 = 30,218    Liberals
     1 = 36,996    Bloc
     1 = 49,429    Alliance
     1 = 83,918    NDP
     1 = 130,316   PC

That means each Liberal voter was worth more than 3 PC voters. Is that fair? It might appear good for Liberals but that's just until an election happens when the tables are turned and its the Liberal voters who get the short end of the stick. It's not a question of which party the system favours, it's a question of why the electoral system has to favour one party's voters over another's at all. No matter which party you support - it's simply not fair.

Most votes usually do not count - Yet another fault of FPTP is that most votes usually do not count and are in fact wasted. If the vote you cast was not for the winning candidate, your vote simply does not count. This is because it has no effect whatsoever on how seats are allocated.

Declining voter turnout and strategic voting are two of the results of the FPTP system. But it gets even worse. Canada has a low percentage of women and visible minorities in Parliament as well as Provincial Legislatures. Also, regional differences are dramatically exaggerated. Our current system is undemocratic and unrepresentative of the citizens. But, it doesn't have to be this way ...

What is the solution?

Fair Vote Nova Scotia and Fair Vote Canada advocate replacing the archaic FPTP systems with some form of Proportional Representation (PR). In principle, parties are awarded seats in proportion to the percentage of votes they receive. With PR every vote is equal and every vote counts. For this reason, most established democracies have adopted systems based on the concept of PR. There are variations to how PR is applied.

Is anyone working for election reform?

FVNS and FVC want to have systems designed by citizens for both Nova Scotia and Canada. These systems must be designed by the citizens and not the politicians. It is a conflict of interest for any elected group to define the terms of their own employment. Few politicians are likely to change the system that put them in power.

That is where Fair Vote Nova Scotia comes in. There is growing awareness of the shortcomings of the current FPTP system and it is our mission to highten that awareness. However, in Nova Scotia we have not yet gotten through to our politicians. Unlike in other provinces, Electoral Reform is not on the agenda. We need to put it there.

What can I do to help?

Are you willing to help us raise awareness about the need for electoral reform in Nova Scotia? Contact us if you believe in democracy as strongly as we do.