Thread by @JeffRybak

I've been asked about electoral reform. I absolutely support reform. For those unfamiliar with the issue, the way we elect our Members of Parliament (provincially and federally) is badly skewed. It creates false majorities not at all reflective of the popular vote. #cdnpoli 1/22

There are, of course, different ways the system could change. Lots of them. One of the reasons reform is so hard is that folks who advocate moving to X end up fighting with those who want Y, or Z, even though all of them agree what we have now is bad. #cdnpoli 2/22

I won't push for a specific system here. Best thing I ever heard on this topic is that any system to achieve a more proportional outcome is better than what we have, and it would be easier to move from that to anything else later on. So let's at least do something. #cdnpoli 3/22

The biggest reason change is so hard is that our winner-take-all system favors parties that form majority government with 35-40%(ish) of the popular vote. Parties that benefit from this bad system have little incentive to change it. And they're the ones in power. #cdnpoli 4/22

The Liberal Party is a big part of this problem. I say that as a Liberal. As a centrist party it benefits quite a lot in short term ways from the system we have. And it's mainly when the Liberal Party gets its ass kicked it starts talking about reform again. #cdnpoli 5/22

The tendency of the Liberal Party to talk a good game on reform when out of power, and forget about it when in power, is my deepest disappointment with the party. No other party is doing better, either. But it's a terrible failure all the same. #cdnpoli 6/22

In 2012 I attended the Liberal convention in Ottawa. In third place, the party was talking electoral reform again. At a panel led by Stéphane Dion, I put the question to him. Why should anyone believe this issue will remain a priority if/when we return to power? #cdnpoli 7/22

At the time, Mr. Dion gave a good answer. He said doing the right thing remains doing the right thing even when circumstances change. I've watched my own party not do the right thing on this issue ever since. One day, I hope to remind Mr. Dion of that exchange. #cdnpoli 8/22

People say reform is difficult and voters wouldn't understand it. The very same people, involved in party politics, use alternative voting systems to elect their leaders and candidates internally. That's true of every major party, and it absolutely changes outcomes. #cdnpoli 9/22

If our general system of voting - first past the post - were used to elect party leaders, Peter MacKay would lead Conservatives today, and Stéphane Dion would never have led the Liberals at all. So it isn't like the parties themselves don't get this. #cdnpoli 10/22

There is good news. In 2016 Ontario (under Liberal government) changed the rules for municipal voting to allow - though not require - ranked ballot voting. So far it's been used in London, is planned for Kingston and Cambridge, and is being discussed elsewhere too. #cdnpoli 11/22

It's obviously easier to let reform happen at the municipal level first and the political cost is lower. But if the major barrier to reform is that it makes people uncomfortable, then getting voters used to it anywhere is a huge win, and it will hopefully catch on. #cdnpoli 12/22

So why is a more proportional system better? The answer relates to many concerns I have expressed lately. It's not only fairer and more representative - though that's a pretty good reason alone. It also limits poisonous politics and create reasons to get along. #cdnpoli 13/22

If our parties were represented more accurately in Parliament, majority government would be rare and minority or coalitions the norm. That's good. It means there's a brake on power. Look at the Trudeau Liberals, or Horgan and the NDP in BC. #cdnpoli 14/22

Unfortunately, right now, minorities only happen rarely and because the next election is likely to create a majority, leaders are always looking for that chance and it gets in the way of governing. It's happening federally, and Horgan just called a snap election. #cdnpoli 15/22

Every leader in power, and every leader is waiting, just wants to ignore and marginalize the other teams for as many years as possible instead of working with them. As a result, our politics are ugly and our governments veer wildly between extremes. #cdnpoli 16/22

The attraction of majority rule is that it's powerful. You can ram through whatever you want, ignoring everyone's objections. But it only lasts so long. And the next majority government will use that same absolute power to reverse course again, in a wasteful cycle. #cdnpoli 17/22

If our leaders had to cooperate to get things done, it would be harder at times but the results would be worth it. Universal health care was created in Canada by minority government. And all the most enduring changes require compromise and consensus anyway. #cdnpoli 18/22

The final benefit is subtle but so very important. Right now, parties know they only need 35-40% support to win, and a vote going to anyone other than their top competitor doesn't even matter. Their plans, and their rhetoric, are all based on this. #cdnpoli 19/22

If second ballot and overall support actually mattered, politicians wouldn't want to - could not afford to - mindlessly demonize their opponents. Self-interest alone would restore some civility, and help bridge the poisonous divide that threatens our democracy. #cdnpoli 20/22

I know electoral reform seems wonky to many. I know it's hard to see why this should be a priority when so many other things are happening. But leaders in power, who benefit from the status quo, will use that argument forever if we let them. Enough is enough. #cdnpoli 21/22

If we fix the way we govern, it will help us solve every other problem we face. We are hampered on every front by our basic inability to cooperate. Our political system creates no incentives to cooperate, and in fact does exactly the opposite. It needs to change. #cdnpoli 22/22

(One day later). Some comments suggest confusion around the term "popular vote." It does not refer to directly electing our PM in a "popularity vote." It refers to the votes of all people, and a system that tries to better reflect all - not just the winning side - in a result.