NEWS Dubious Democracy New report puts voting system in Canada to shame Nicole Burton, News Editor In other elections news, a freshly completed report was released last week by Fair Vote Canada, compiling more than 20 years of research on the voting system employed by the Government of Canada. The 14 page document concludes that the electoral process used in Canada “...drives wedges between the regions, unfairly rewards and punishes various political viewpoints, and makes a mockery of representative democracy and government accountability.” These are the words of the report's author, Larry Gordon, who also serves as the executive director for Fair Vote Canada, a self-described community-based organiza- tion which campaigns for voting system reform. Gordon says, “This report provides a very concise overview of how our dysfunctional first-past-the-post system subverts democratic values....” In light of the no-confidence vote in Parliament last fall, the Canada-wide organization is taking the Election Day buzz as an opportunity to raise awareness about the issues. Fair Vote Canada is currently calling on party leaders to state clearly whether they support or oppose the adoption of a fair voting system. The report points to specific incidences in which, it is argued, the democratic process has had double-standards that resulted in illogical conclusions over who was “demo- cratically elected.” It even describes the voting system in Canada as “completely dysfunctional.” opnewseditor@gmail.com The report found that in 2004, a half-million Liberal voters in Atlantic Canada elected 22 MPs, while more than a half-million Green Party voters across the country elect- ed no one. According to the report, Canada is also found in bad standing at the international level. In the last New Zealand election, 1 percent of the voters cast wasted votes that elected no one. In Germany it’s 4 percent and in Scotland, 6 percent. In the last Canadian election, a whopping 50 percent cast wasted votes. Managing Editor's Note: This seemingly skewed statistic is sim- ply indicating that in a proportional representation system, every vote is counted through preferential voting, whereas in Canada we vote for the one candidate we vote for. Dysfunctional voting has had many consequences, says the report, including a significant lack of representation for marginalized groups in the country. Most notably, the report reveals that Canada now ranks 42nd among coun- tries with parliamentary systems around the world on the percentage of women in office—behind the United States and nearly all of Europe. “The information illustrates just how badly the voting system has warped our political arena,” said Wayne Smith, president of Fair Vote Canada. “Given the way the system treats voters, it's not surprising 40 percent of registered voters don't vote—it's surprising 60 percent still do.” The report can be read online at: http://fairvotecana- da.org/updir/DubiousDemocracyReport-January2006.pdf A Drive Against Recr uitment Students protest the rise in Canada's military on campuses Nicole Burton, News Editor With the adoption of the Annual Federal Budget in April, the Canadian government gave the military a huge makeover last year, starting with a doubling of the total military budget from $13 bil- lion to $26 billion. Troop levels are being bolstered by additions of 5,000 personnel into the armed forces and 3,000 into the reserves. This February, the last troop deployment (totaling 2,000 soldiers) will arrive in Afghanistan, as Canada continues to lead in the rebuilding of the country. In June 2005, the announcement of the military's official over- haul came. “We are no longer peacekeepers in a practical sense,” said Canadian Armed Forces Sgt. Leslie during a June press con- ference. “We remain only rhetorical peacekeepers.” The message was then given in simpler words by Lieutenant- General Rick Hillier, Chief of Staff for Canada's Armed Forces, who dropped jaws across the country when he referred to Afghans as “detestable murderers and scumbags,” and trumpeted that the Canadian Armed Forces, “are not the public service of Canada. Our job is to be able to kill people” A number of questions began to rise from people everywhere in Canada: Who made the decision to send 2,000 troops to Afghanistan? Why wasn't it discussed in Parliament? Why is the military budget being boosted so much right now? Students are asking questions, too. At Capilano College in North Vancouver, a handwritten protest placard was displayed on an information table, asking, “The Canadian military budget has doubled. . . So have tuition fees... GET IT?” Over the last year, students at postsecondary institutions across the country have made headlines in organizing anti-recruitment activities on their campuses. From petition drives to revamping student union policies, activi- ties range also in the scope of opposition—condemning not only the military's recruitment, but also connecting it directly with Canada's actions in Afghanistan and Haiti, Canada's involvement in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the Canadian govern- ment's ongoing financial attack on students through the rise in tuition fees and the steady elimination of assistance programs. In Ontario, students at Guelph University have taken yet anoth- et approach against the military on their campus. A policy recently adopted by the Students Union reads, “The CSA [Central Student Association] opposes military recruitment initiatives at the University of Guelph. This includes tabling in the [University Centre], ads in washrooms, or any visible presence on campus by any military organization(s) that is/are known to have participated in, or supported in any way, activities that are clearly illegal.” Scott Gilbert, a representative of the CSA, says that this defi- nitely includes the Canadian military. He explained, “We drafted a policy on military research, and decided to add a clause on recruit- ment because last year there were some confrontations on our campus when recruiters came. “This is our stance on military recruitment. If a student wants to be a part of the military, that is fine with us, we just don't think our campus is the right place to do it” Gilbert and other Guelph students have also been involved in uncovering information on military research being conducted in universities in Canada. A report has been released by the CSA on military research at the U of G and Toronto University. Last September at York University, student activists even con- fronted recruiters head-on with two campus rallies. During the sec- ond gathering, protesters demanded, “Army Out of Afghanistan, Army Out of York!’ to the point that the Canadian military offi- cers packed up and left. Student organizers explained to the York Excalibur that the protests occurred because of a strong opposi- tion to Canada's occupations in Afghanistan and Haiti, and that a continued on pg 5