In an alternative, better world, Doug Ford would have a lot less power right now

“Progressive Conservatives to look for common ground with other parties after winning 40% of seats.” That’s what should have been the headline last week ― and what would have happened if the results had given Ontarians what they asked for.

Thanks to our archaic electoral system, Doug Ford was able to claim a “strong mandate” with his 43% vote share ― of the 45% of eligible voters who even showed up.

Our current system, dubbed first-past-the-post, elects a single winner in each riding, leaving the voters who supported other candidates (often the majority) without a rep who shares their priorities. First-past-the-post always gives a generous seat bonus to the largest party ― a fact the PC’s were no doubt counting on when they cynically called this election sixteen months early.

For Canadian politics to be fairer and more representative of voters, we must adopt a proportional system.

After all, instead of public outcry, the unnecessary Ontario election and its results were met with a collective shrug. Voters are so used to parties gaming our first-past-the-post system that they hardly notice it anymore.

But the consequences of an unfair and disproportional voting system aren’t a political game ― they matter to the lives of citizens in Ontario.

Ask a nurse. Ask a teacher. Ask the family of someone who had a stroke and arrived at the emergency room to discover it closed. Ask the 25-year-old who says there’s no point in voting, because it doesn’t make any difference anyway.

Meaningful debate in Ontario’s election was close to nil, and one could be forgiven for thinking that was just fine with the major parties. With the exception of the Ontario Green Party, they didn’t even offer voters their platforms until just days before the election, after the advance polling had already started.

With no time to compare proposals, voters were left with slogans, colours, personalities and strategic voting websites to motivate them.

Faced with reams of polling data, party strategists knew that the battle between Marit Stiles and Bonnie Crombie for second place was of little consequence. The heated competition for strategic votes was driven by optics: each wanted to be able claim after the election that their own party is best placed to defeat Doug Ford next time. Of course, next time in First-past-the-post usually just means a false majority.

While all parties have suffered grossly distorted results at the hands of first-past-post in the past, the Liberals took a beating again this time. The NDP got 27 seats with 18.6% of the vote, reclaiming the Official Opposition status, white the Liberals, with 29% of the vote, got just 14 seats.

Green voters, as usual, were also punished by our winner-take-all system: 240,000 Green voters elected just two MPPs.

If Ontario had proportional representation, each party’s voters would be represented fairly according to their share of the vote. A party with 40% voter support would win 40% of the seats ― and then look for areas where they can compromise with other parties to pass legislation.

Research shows that countries with proportional systems not only have stronger democracies, they have higher economic growth, healthier citizens, a stronger social safety net, and better environmental protection.

Proportional representation can have a huge impact on solving long-term problems. Sharing power forces parties to cooperate and find common ground to create lasting solutions. Under winner-take-all voting, small steps forward are frequently reversed almost overnight by the next false majority government.

As the political situation around the world deteriorates, PR has also been shown to reduce polarization and provide a bulwark against extremism.  Only winner-take-all voting would allow, say, an extremist to capture the leadership of a major party and enable that party to win all the power with a minority of the vote.

When it comes to the many crises facing Ontario ― the housing crisis, the health care crisis, the climate crisis, or making our economy less reliant on the US ― a collaborative, long-term approach supported by a majority of voters has never been more critical.

Isn’t that what most of us are really voting for?

It’s time for parties to put Ontario citizens first and to finally show courageous and principled leadership. We need them to work together to implement proportional representation ― for the common good.

Gisela Ruckert is a board member of Fair Vote Canada, the national citizens’ campaign for proportional representation.

Anita Nickerson is the Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada.