Re - Does your vote count

Sep 12, 2019

In writing the above article on the likely differences in voting outcomes in the two ridings covered by the Frontenac News, Jeff Green made some interesting points – with which I agree – but in my opinion he interpreted them absolutely incorrectly. Your vote in Lanark-Frontenac -Kingston certainly does count, and may in fact be a major contributor to Canada’s future direction.

Here’s what he said:

“This paper will reach 12,301 households through Canada Post. Of those, about 1,200, those in Addington Highlands, will have the opportunity to cast a vote that just might help determine how we are governed over the next four years. The other 90% will not.”

He was talking about the fact that in our first-past-the-post electoral system, the ‘winning’ candidate can be elected by as little as a third of the votes cast – so the votes of the majority of people have no impact on who gets elected.

But here’s where he made his mistake:

First, this election may very well be different from any previous ones. Reports are that a very large percentage of people are simply disillusioned with the major parties: as Jeff Green pointed out, in Ontario Doug Ford’s behavior in office has warned-off even committed Conservative supporters – and Andrew Scheer hasn’t exactly been putting on a stellar performance as the leader of the federal Conservatives; the Liberals have saddled themselves with the Lavalin affair (among others) and – despite Jeff Green’s assertion that people have forgotten Trudeau’s abandoned promise to fix the first-past-the-post system Green is writing about, I think most voters remember it very well (and not with pleasure).

Second, this is really the first federal election in which the Green Party is being taken seriously in many provinces. This is partly due to disillusionment with the mainstream parties – but even more because:  the climate emergency is now a top concern for many people, and there’s increasing recognition that the Green Party is much more than a one-issue party (see  https://tinyurl.com/y4rhsyf9 for a summary of the party’s platform)

And third, but most importantly: you don’t need to win a riding to have a major influence on national policy. If, in this election, the Green Party significantly increases its voting percentages – which is very likely – the issues the party supports will gain enormous political traction. And those issues: climate change; new green jobs; support for farmers and food security; a national seniors’ strategy; the protection and improvement of our health care system – are critical to our future. As Jeff Green said, “The Green’s do not need to change their message as the election unfolds.”

So yes, in this election we should have had a voting system in place that would make every vote count properly; too bad we don’t. But that’s not to say your vote won’t count in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston: It most definitely will count.

Do I think the Greens will win in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston? In a split race, with a lot of disillusionment and a lot of concern about the future? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I think it’s possible.

But in any case, do I think it will be effective to vote Green in the riding? Absolutely!

Stephen Kotze

Green Party candidate

Lanark Frontenac Kingston