Voting options: First past the post plus leaders

Between Oct. 29 and Nov. 7, Islanders will be asked to weigh in on electoral reform in a provincial plebiscite. This week, CBC will explain each of the five systems presented on the ballot.

A series of leaders' debates during the 2015 P.E.I. election provided many of the highlights of the overall campaign with topics ranging from abortion to the colour of Anne Shirley's hair.

Each of the four party leaders seemed to bring fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm to their parties. Three of the four had never run in a provincial election and the fourth, Peter Bevan-Baker of the Green Party of P.E.I., was in his first campaign as leader.

But those memorable leaders' debates will never be duplicated in the provincial legislature. That's because only two of the four leaders actually won their seats.

Small tweak to the status quo

First past the post plus leaders is an electoral model that's never been used before. It would provide a small but significant tweak to the status quo, one that would have a significant impact on parties whose leaders might not otherwise win a seat in the House.

• Voting options: First past the post

Under this proposedsystem, candidates would run in district elections across the Island just as they do now, but party leaders wouldn't be required to do that. Instead, an additional seat would be created in the legislature for the leader of each party that obtained at least ten per cent of the overall popular vote.

'We need those leaders in the house'

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Alan McIsaac is one of a handful of current and former MLAs who came forward with the proposal during recent consultations on electoral reform.

"We really need the very best leaders to come forward for our parties, and we need those leaders in the House," he said.

He raised the example of former PC leader Rob Lantz, who fell short of aseat by just 22 votes. Many felt Lantz spent too much time trying to help other PC candidates get elected and not enough time in his own riding.

This system would free up leaders to focus on the overall campaign, McIsaac said.

'Crumbs off the plate,' says NPD's Mike Redmond

Losing their leader was a major setback for the PCs. When contacted by CBC News, Lantz said he didn't want to comment on the possible merits of an electoral model that might have given him a seat in the legislature.

But the other party leader who would have benefited under this model is making it clear that he doesn't support it.

NDP leader Mike Redmond calls first past the post plus leaders "crumbs off the plate" from the two main parties, an attempt to appease NDP and Green voters while maintaining the status quo.

"It's tokenism," said Redmond.

"It's not a form of electoral reform, it's not a form of [proportional representation]. It's a made-up way that the Liberals and Tories can justify their first past the post electoral system. And it doesn't represent the people. We had 22 per cent-plus of Islanders that did not vote for either of the two mainstream parties [in the 2015 election]."

'Politics is the art of the possible'

The only NDP member who's ever won a seat in the P.E.I. legislature, however, is taking a more pragmatic approach to change.

Herb Dickieson noted Islanders overwhelmingly rejected proportional representation in the previous plebiscite on electoral reform in 2005.

"Politics is the art of the possible," he said. "I see this as being a possible solution that would maintain the traditional MLA maintaining their riding, but also have the opportunity of having each of the political parties represented in the legislature having more voices in the legislature representing different points of view."

Constitutional issues?

UPEI political science professorDon Desserud has raised concerns about the model, suggesting it delves into territory "foreign to our constitution."

"It has to do with the constituencythe leader represents when in the House," he said. "The leader would be there solely in their capacity as party leader."

If the party decides to replace its leader after an election, what happens to the former leader and their seat in the House he asks, noting there's no legal authority to force them to resign. Or what if the leader resigns?

"I'm not saying these problems are insurmountable, but I don't think they've been thought through," he said.

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