A simple look at some numbers reveals a lot about the 2019 federal election and where our country should be headed.
The voter turnout in Canada was a measly 66 per cent – a number likely to drop because it doesn’t include those who register on election day. Voter turnout was even worse in the local ridings: 63 per cent for Burnaby North-Seymour, 60 per cent for New Westminster-Burnaby and a pathetic 56 per cent in Burnaby South, despite the candidacy of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Sure, it’s far better than what happened in Burnaby for the 2018 civic election, but it’s still hot garbage.
So, why do so few Canadians vote? Well, some other numbers might shed light on this.
The Bloc Québécois captured 32 seats with 7.7 per cent of the vote, while the NDP secured just 24 seats with nearly 16 per cent of the vote. The Greens had nearly the same number of votes as the Bloc, but got just three seats.
I’m not excusing people not bothering to turn out to vote, but perhaps it’s no wonder people don’t want to vote when the first-past-the-post system is so unfair.
Hopefully, with the Liberals only having minority status, the NDP and Greens can force a change in how we vote. After all, our prime minister previously promised this – in 2015.
