POLI-221: The Government of Canada - Week 9 Notes

Canada’s Electoral System

  • Single Member Plurality (SMP)

    • The country is divided into electoral divisions known as ridings.

    • Each riding elects one Member of Parliament (MP) through a first-past-the-post system.

    • In this system, the candidate with the most votes in each riding wins; there is no requirement to secure more than 50% of the votes to win.

    • No proportional representation is applied in this electoral framework.

    • Provincial seat allocation is generally correlated with population size, but the following exceptions exist:

    • Prince Edward Island (PEI) is guaranteed 4 seats.

    • New Brunswick (NB) is guaranteed 10 seats.

    • The three territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut) collectively receive 1 seat each.

    • Federal electoral boundaries in each province are redrawn every 10 years by a three-person commission (refer to Courtney 2001).

Fixed Election Dates and Electoral Reform

  • The fixed-election-date legislation was adopted in 2007.

    • This legislation stipulates that federal elections should occur every 4 years on the third Monday of October.

    • The electoral calendar is not entirely definitive due to the nature of parliamentary democracy, where dissolution can happen at any moment (e.g., when the government loses the House of Commons' confidence).

    • Electoral reform discusses the most commonly debated alternatives to first-past-the-post:

    • Proportional Representation (PR)

    • Single Transferable Vote (STV)

    • Each alternative electoral system could significantly affect the political fortunes of various parties (as noted by Malcolmson et al: 191).

    • Hybrid systems, similar to those in Germany and New Zealand, are actively discussed in Canada.

Proportional Representation (PR)

  • Definition of Proportional Representation:

    • PR is described as an electoral system aiming to generate a representative body that reflects the overall distribution of public support across political parties.

    • Unlike majority or plurality systems that favor strong parties and disadvantage weaker ones by granting constituency representation to a single candidate who may receive less than half of the votes cast, PR enables minority groups to gain representation in proportion to their electoral support.

    • Countries that have adopted proportional representation include:

    • Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland (source: Encyclopedia Britannica).

Results of the 2021 Federal Elections (Canada Votes 2021)

  • Popular Vote and Seat Distribution (as of 3 PM ET Sept 21):

    • Hootlet: 2.3%

    • [Other parties with varying percentages and seat counts summarized].

    • Total stats not available, but reflects diverse electoral participation across candidate support.

Mixed Member Proportional (MPP)

  • Definition of Mixed Member Proportional:

    • MMP was proposed by the Law Commission of Canada (2004) and supported by several provincial commissions.

    • MMP variants are utilized in countries like New Zealand, Germany, Scotland, and Wales.

    • Structure of MMP:

    • Approximately 60% of MPs will be local riding MPs elected by the current winner-take-all approach.

    • Roughly 40% will be elected as regional MLAs based on regional votes.

    • Voters would have two votes: one for a local MP and another for regional representatives from their area.

2021 Federal Elections Results Under MMP

  • Party Representation (FPTP vs MMP):

    • Conservative:

    • % of Vote: 33.7%

    • Seats (FPTP): 119

    • Seats (MMP): 117

    • Liberal:

    • % of Vote: 32.6%

    • Seats (FPTP): 159

    • Seats (MMP): 125

    • NDP:

    • % of Vote: 17.8%

    • Seats (FPTP): 25

    • Seats (MMP): 59

    • Bloc Quebecois:

    • % of Vote: 7.7%

    • Seats (FPTP): 33

    • Seats (MMP): 26

    • People's Party of Canada (PPC):

    • % of Vote: 5.0%

    • Seats (FPTP): 0

    • Seats (MMP): 8

    • Green Party:

    • % of Vote: 2.3%

    • Seats (FPTP): 2

    • Seats (MMP): 3

    • Other:

    • % of Vote: 0.9%

    • Seats (FPTP): 0

    • Seats (MMP): 0

Single Transferable Vote (STV)

  • Definition of Single Transferable Vote:

    • STV involves larger electoral areas from which multiple representatives are elected (e.g., 4 or 5 representatives).

    • This system aims to reflect the diverse opinions within the area by electing a small team of representatives.

    • Voters list candidates in order of preference:

    • Candidates chosen receive a number one vote from the voter, with subsequent candidates receiving numbers two, three, etc.

    • Voters have the flexibility to rank as many or as few candidates as desired.

    • Parties may present multiple candidates in each area, with the counting of votes allowing flexibility to transfer votes if a preferred candidate already has sufficient votes or is unlikely to win.

2021 Federal Elections: FPTP vs STV

  • Party Representation and Seats (FPTP vs STV):

    • Conservative:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 33.7%

    • Seats (FPTP): 119, Seats (STV): 125

    • Liberal:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 32.6%

    • Seats (FPTP): 159, Seats (STV): 121

    • NDP:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 17.8%

    • Seats (FPTP): 25, Seats (STV): 59

    • Bloc Quebecois:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 7.7%

    • Seats (FPTP): 33, Seats (STV): 26

    • People's Party of Canada (PPC):

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 5.0%

    • Seats (FPTP): 0, Seats (STV): 6

    • Green Party:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 2.3%

    • Seats (FPTP): 2, Seats (STV): 1

    • Other:

    • % of Vote (FPTP): 0.9%

    • Seats (FPTP): 0, Seats (STV): 0

Next Week’s Readings (Beyond the Textbook)

  • Readings to address the following:

    • Johnston (2009): How does Johnston characterize the relationship between political parties and Canada’s electoral system?

    • Pruysers and Cross (2016): What are the main competing democratic norms surrounding candidate selection in Canada?