"We will make every vote count. We are committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.
"We will make every vote count. We are committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system."
That is the Liberal Party of Canada's policy that is still proudly displayed on its website, despite the announcement on Feb. 1 that the government has abandoned its pledge to the voters.
Many are outraged that Trudeau's government reneged on a promise that was a cornerstone of their election platform. Others are disappointed that the prime minister did not make the announcement himself, opting to have new Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould make it instead.
Trudeau cited that his reason for removing this key pledge from the mandate is that no clear preference arose from the arduous and exhaustive process of analyzing alternative voting systems.
In addition to a panel designated to make this assessment, the Liberals made use of Mydemocracy.ca, an online survey that was heavily criticized by journalists and the public alike for being heavily biased and full to the brim of leading questions.
The first-past-the-post system has been the voting system in Canada since the country's inception – well, since Confederation anyway. And there are many Canadians who feel that it inadequately represents the wishes of the voting public. Some would prefer a ranked ballot system, while others would rather see proportional representation.
While it is unlikely this decision was made on the spur of the moment, it begs the question of why Trudeau really chose to abandon such a key piece of his party's original mandate.
It's possible Trudeau realized he would be unable to fulfil the promise and decided to have his minister make the announcement post-haste, hoping there would be adequate time to mitigate the damage in the eyes of the Canadian people before the next federal election in 2019. Even the prime minister can come to the realization that his dreams may have been too lofty and he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
The true reason for the Liberal government's deception may never come to light. Whether it was naivetÈ, daring to dream too big, or a calculated political move, we will probably never know.
But come 2019 when you're staring down at the names on your ballot remember the hollow words that cinched the Liberal majority in 2015 and consider that the people of Canada need not be taken for fools again.
As the old saying goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me -- or in this case, us.
Darlana Robertson is a twentysomething writer from Calgary, and a former Central Alberta resident.
