Quality of Democracy Envy

 Do you distinguish between jealousy and envy? I do. Jealousy is wanting something someone else has and not wanting them to have it. Envy, on the other hand, is wanting something someone else has while being fine with them having it too.

I envy the quality of democracy in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. These countries, among others, use proportional representation (PR) to elect their national legislatures. PR ensures political parties win seats based on the percentage of votes they receive. This system encourages people to vote because they know their vote truly counts. In Canada, a dispiriting 50% votes elect no one; in Belgium, it’s less than 5%.

PR systems lead to higher voter turnout (especially among younger people), more diverse representation (in terms of age, gender, and occupation), and greater voter satisfaction. With more women in legislatures and a structure that encourages cooperation over competition, PR fosters collaboration. This leads to thoughtful, long-term legislation that builds voter trust. Greater trust, in turn, leads to increased civic engagement—a key indicator of a healthy democracy.

As the Saskatchewan election approaches, ask your candidates if they support electoral reform with PR. If they don’t, ask how they plan to improve civic engagement and the quality of our democracy. Share your conversations with facebook.com/FairVoteSask and learn more at FairVote.ca.

Mature Politics with Proportional Representation

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.

Image by Dmitry Abramov from Pixabay

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.