Canadians have just voted for a kind of political revolution, wiping out two traditional parties - the Liberals and Quebec Bloc - and making the social democratic NDP the official opposition. The Canadian conservatives won the election, gaining a 54% majority of seats under the first past the post system, with just under 40% of the vote. It is a more decisive win than the Conservatives in the UK last year but is also further evidence of the potential downside of FPTP, unless of course you prefer a 'decisive' result. Decisive in this case means allowing a conservative party to override the political preferences of the majority of voters.
CANADA NATIONWIDE RESULTS, 2011
Party Popular Vote Seats Share of Seats
Conservative 39.6% 167 54%
New Democrat 30.6 102 33
Liberal 18.9 34 11
Bloc Québécois 6.0 4 1
Green 3.9 1 0.3 0.1
TOTAL 308
Most remarkably, it is a left of centre breakthrough in North America, where for many decades the left has been marginal in the US, Canada and Mexico. Perhaps Canada can show the way to the other North American nations, especially Mexico, with its election due next year.
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