The guest speaker at a town hall meeting on electoral reform at the Goderich High School last night started the discussion by pointing out that there is no perfect system.
Dr. Laura Stephenson is an associate professor at Western Unversity and explained that each of a number of different electoral systems addresses different criteria that concern voters. She adds the two main issues for voters are representation and accountability, and the trade-offs between them. Others include local representation, interest representation in terms of how many parties form a government, and election of women and visible minorities, and so people will tend to favour the system that addresses their concern. One common dilemma is having to choose between the local candidate and a party, and Stephenson says a Mixed Member Proportional system addresses that concern.
She also points out the range of options can be complicated and a little confusing for voters, but a more complicated system can be more effective in addressing specific concerns. In the end, Stephenson says there is no silver bullet for a perfect system that will please everyone, so voters have to carefully consider the pros and cons of each system, and decide which one comes closest to addressing their concerns.
About 70 people attended the non-partisan town hall meeting last night at the Goderich District Collegiate Institute. Electoral Reform was one of the platforms in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's successful campaign and an all-party committee is currently considering options.