When the Liberals broke their promise to implement Proportional Representation (PR) after the 2014 elections, it only increased support for PR among Canadians. A 2019 Angus Reid Poll found that 69 percent of Canadians support it, with majorities in all parties and regions. They want to replace iniquitous electoral outcomes, acrimonious politics and counterproductive discontinuity of policy with proportional representation, reasonable political processes and policy stability.
MMP is used in Germany and New Zealand and was recommended by the 2004 Law Commission of Canada and several provincial commissions.
The MMP system we recommend involves two votes, one for a constituency MP elected by the existing First Past the Post system and the other for a candidate in open party lists in each province, using the top-up method. It combines proportionality, voter choice among constituency and party list candidates, province-based representativeness and constituency representation. Canadians will find it easy to understand and it can be implemented without major revisions of Canada’s electoral districts.
The issue of electoral reform requires political leadership and is one that I will prioritize if elected as leader.
That said, the choice and design of a new electoral system belongs to citizens. Politicians are in a conflict of interest when it comes to electoral reform and ways must be found to rise above partisan considerations. Referendums fail in this regard for a number of reasons and are most often used to torpedo electoral reform out of the starting gate. The Green Party's position, which I support, is that whichever party or parties forms government, the electoral reform issue should be put to a deliberative and representative citizens' assembly.
Since the Green Party has always stood for electoral reform and proportional representation, a Green Government will have the mandate to proceed with its implementation without a referendum. We believe our option will command the support of a majority of Canadians across parties and provinces.
