Fair Vote Canada presents this David Letterman-style list of electoral low points in recent decades. We begin with number ten and work our way down to number one.

10) In the 1990s, Canada ranks 109th among 163 nations in voter turnout, slightly behind Lebanon, in a dead heat with Benin, and just ahead of Fiji.

9) In 1984, the Progressive Conservatives win 50% of the votes but gain nearly 75% of the seats, close to an all-time record for the largest percentage of unearned seats in any federal election.

8) In 2004, more than 500,000 Green voters fail to elect a single MP anywhere, while fewer than 500,000 Liberal voters in Atlantic Canada alone elect 22 Liberal MPs.

7) In 2000, twenty-two candidates become MPs despite winning less than 40% of the votes in their ridings.

6) The 2004 election produces a House with only 21% women MPs, with Canada now ranking 36th among nations in percentage of women MPs, well behind most Western European countries.

5) In 1993, the newly formed Bloc Quebecois comes in fourth in the popular vote, but forms the Official Opposition by gaining more seats than the second place Reform Party and third place Tories.

4) In 2000, 2.3 million Liberal voters in Ontario elect 100 Liberal MPs while the other 2.2 million Ontario voters elect only 3 MPs from other parties.

3) In 1993, more than two million votes for Kim Campbell's Progressive Conservatives translate into two seats – or one seat for every 1,000,000 votes. Meanwhile, the voting system gives the Liberal Party one seat for every 32,000 votes.

And finally, the two chart toppers…

2) In 1984, when competing for the Liberal leadership, Jean Chretien tells reporters in Brandon, Manitoba, he would introduce proportional representation "right after the next election" if he became prime minister.

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2) In 1984, when competing for the Liberal leadership, Jean Chretien tells reporters in Brandon, Manitoba, he would introduce proportional representation "right after the next election" if he became prime minister.

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[ 24 June 2006: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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Originally posted by Fidel:
TEN LOWEST POINTS IN CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTIONS 1980-2004

5) In 1993, the newly formed Bloc Quebecois comes in fourth in the popular vote, but forms the Official Opposition by gaining more seats than the second place Reform Party and third place Tories.

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And 219,214 Liberal voters in Alberta elect no one while 226,563 Conservative voters in Saskatchewan elect 12 MPs.

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Originally posted by Islander:
Proportional representation is about choosing fairness over effectiveness.

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Lots of PR countries have effective governments, but some of them have presidential systems like Brazil, Mexico, and so on.

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Originally posted by Wilf Day:

And again this year 1,553,201 Bloc voters elect 51 MPs (30,455 voters per MP) while 907,972 Quebec Conservative voters elect 10 MPs (90,797 voters per MP) and 766,228 Quebec Liberal voters elect 13 MPs (58,941 voters per MP).

And 219,214 Liberal voters in Alberta elect no one while 226,563 Conservative voters in Saskatchewan elect 12 MPs.

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Originally posted by Wilf Day:

Our skewed system is effective in giving weird bonuses to regional parties like the Bloc, while giving us parliaments that are ineffective in representing voters.

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