Yukon Election Results Distorted
November 07, 2002
FAIR VOTE CANADA: NEWS
November 7, 2002
Contact:
Larry Gordon 416-410-4034
Doug Bailie 780-432-9407
Yukon election is textbook case
on voting system distortions
"The result of Monday's election in the Yukon is a textbook case on how Canada's first-past-the-post voting system distorts what voters say at the ballot box." says Larry Gordon, executive director of Fair Vote Canada.
News reports highlighted a "stunning victory" in which the Yukon Party captured two-thirds of the 18 seat legislature to form a new majority government. Newly elected premier Dennis Fentie claimed a "huge mandate." Yet, the Yukon Party attracted only 40% of the popular vote.
"It's absolutely ludicrous when the voting system hands two-thirds of the seats to a party that was rejected by 60% of the voters," says Gordon. "But that type of distorted outcome is business as usual with winner-take-all voting systems."
The Yukon NDP and Yukon Liberal Party were virtually tied in the popular vote (27% and 29% respectively), but the NDP won five seats and the Liberals were nearly obliterated, winning just one seat.
"Every election in Canada provides yet another reason why we need to scrap our antiquated and dysfunctional voting system and move to some type of proportional representation," says Gordon. "Proportional voting systems ensure that what we say at the ballot box is what we get. No phony
majority governments with phony mandates. No unearned advantages or punishments in the number of seats for parties. Just fair representation for all voters, regardless of their views or what parties they support."
Fair Vote Canada is a multi-partisan citizens' campaign for voting system reform. The campaign has been endorsed by groups as diverse as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress. The FVC National Advisory Board includes 30 prominent Canadians from various backgrounds and political perspectives, including notables such as Pierre Berton, Ed Broadbent, Hugh Segal, Claude Ryan, David Suzuki, Karen Kain, Maude Barlow, Walter Robinson, Judy Rebick, Lincoln Alexander and current and former MPs from the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, Alliance and NDP.
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[ This Message was edited by: admin on 2002-11-07 11:04 ]
[ This Message was edited by: admin on 2002-11-07 11:07 ]