The US Message for Canadian Electoral Reform
We know what happened. Yes, Trump won.
If we don’t want it to happen here (and it WILL), we need electoral reform in Canada. Immediately. We need to implement, test on by-elections (and there will be some) and launch a full reform for the next election.
Here’s why.
Trump won on the backs of rural and suburban white men that feel threatened by a changing society. He lied that he would be able to change the muck and mire that has ruined American politics for many decades.
When thinking about these voters, I’m reluctant to use the word ‘racist’ or ‘ignorant’ or ‘bigoted’ or ‘misogynistic’ as I don’t know these people. Instead, I will speculate that they’re cynical and that they are disenfranchised with the American political process.
They feel vulnerable and exposed and will embrace a good set of lies designed to swipe their sentiment and leverage it into a seat of power. They will be ignored by their suitor and they will get even more angry.
We have to stop this cycle.
I’ve watched the demographics on five recent elections (the last two Canadian elections, the Brexit vote, Australia and the recent US election) and have witnessed the same trends:
- Urban vs suburban and rural: those who live in centralized areas (and possibly have more exposure to people from different walks of life)
- Age (those who are boomers or older show a leaning towards isolationism and protectionism)
- Race (basically a sub-set of #1 and #2, where fewer people with a visible difference in skin colour or ethnicity tend to be younger and live in urban areas)
- Education (this is admittedly a mixed bag).
They all point to a growing trend: the bulk vote of the urban and suburban areas are voting for politicians that want to ‘make America great again’ or follow ‘traditional Canadian values’ as opposed to moving forward with reforms and change that will, theoretically, bring an evolved society.
Tradition vs Change.
Conservative vs Progressive.
The two ranges of political ideology are great if we get a chance to mix things up a bit and learn from each other, but the polarization is becoming more profound and will lead to revolution if we don’t have electoral reform.
We need mixed governments that lead to endless minorities. You heard me.
This forces us to have a healthy long-term approach to politics and problem solving as opposed to the adversarial and bigoted mess that we have today.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: It is on your shoulders to implement change immediately. Failure to do so will invite more fragmentation and frustration from all walks of life in Canada.
We MUST NOT allow Canada to walk down the path of the US.