Thank you for contacting me about proportional representation.

I do not believe that a PR system would improve our democracy. Our current system prevents disproportionate influence by small fringe parties holding the balance of power; and limits the circumstances in which Government programmes are produced in post-election backroom coalition negotiations, over which the public has no say. I also do not think that changing the electoral system would make our politics more constructive or improve the tone of our public discourse.

There are many democracies with PR systems that have highly charged and fractious politics, whereas Canada is an example of a First Past the Post country with a relatively civil public sphere. Moreover, the resounding result of the AV referendum in 2011 marked a public vote of confidence in the First Past the Post system. While AV is not a PR system, I believe the result of the referendum demonstrates that there is no public appetite for reforming the electoral system, let alone for a more radical reform than the one proposed in that referendum.

Thank you for taking the time to let me know your views on this issue.