The past Ontario Provincial election saw the lowest turnout since the first provincial election in Aug. of 1867.
According to preliminary estimates, 49.02 per cent of voters showed up at the polls on Oct. 6, making Ontario's 40th general election its worst for voter participation; less than half.
Like the majority of people in this province, I did not vote because I believe the system is not democratic enough. I cannot elect more than one person in my riding, as we do in the municipal election where we elect over 10, and we do not vote directly for the Premier, as we do in municipal elections, voting for the Mayor seperately.
Based on the votes we cast for local representatives, the Liberals received 1,622,426 votes or 37.62 per cent of the vote , the Conservatives received 1,527,959 votes, or 35.43 per cent of the votes, the NDP party received 170,980,204 votes or 22.73 per cent of the vote, and the Green Party received 126,567, or 2.94 per cent of the vote. A majority of people. 67.42 per cent of the people who voted, did not vote for the Liberal Party.
In the last election, under the current system, 37 per cent of the vote, (and one more elected seat) could have easily given one political party the majority of the power.
Not truly a fair representation of the 'people' and their voting choices in the election. Politics like walking, is a balances of right and left steps, in balance towards a common goal.
Under our current provincial electoral system no single party was able to elect 54 members, the magical number that gives one political party 'a majority' and in fact allows the party leader a great deal of power over his or her party, its members and the province.
The last election saw the Premier of Ontario receive only 22,000 direct votes, and merely 37 per cent of the popular vote, and he could have been given majority status if not for one seat, and a few hundred votes in one riding.
Like many other people in this province we believe that a "minority government" is a good thing because it allows all of the elected officials more ability to enter into the management of the province. In a majority government, the minority is empowered, through the party parliamentary system designed over 100 years ago, when Canada was still a colony.
I am one who believes a balance of some opinions and some views makes for better government. If we used the example of political colors, the pursuit of The Truth should not be biased on one particular color; like light, the truth is all colors and no one color.
Caesar J. B. Squitti
Thunder Bay,
