Letters to the editor, May 10: ‘Western alienation … driven by frustration that most Canadians don't vote like most Westerners'

Globe and Mail

10-05-2025

Re 'Carney is a PM governing like he's got a crisis he doesn't want to waste' (May 3): I have worked for two provincial governments and the federal government. The only time I saw government make significant decisions and change was when leadership demanded quick, decisive action during a crisis.
Otherwise, it's business as usual.
Patricia Bowles West Vancouver
Re 'Canada's democracy had a decent day. But it can do better to reflect all Canadians in this moment of crisis' and 'Canada is not as divided as some claim – or as its electoral system makes it appear" (Opinion, May 3): I agree that Canada is more divided than polarized, but I disagree that the Liberals and Conservatives are not national parties.
Both won sizable fractions of the vote across Canada. That this is not reflected in the electoral map is a result of our first-past-the-post system. We often blame FPTP for failing to represent more than two parties. But following this election, we see it may not even be very good in a two-party system, if those parties have regional strengths.
Let's acknowledge that a Parliament which represents Liberal voters in the West, Conservative voters in urban centres and smaller parties everywhere would make for a healthier democracy, one harder for troublemakers to exploit as it would allow a truly national conversation.
I cannot think of a better nation-building project than to upgrade our electoral system so that Parliament better represents how we vote from coast to coast to coast.
Jason Scott Ottawa
Two parties, the oft-mutated Grits and Tories, both with enduring brands going back to Confederation, secured 85 per cent of the vote. Are we nearly returned to a first-past-the-post system yielding majority results that Canadians had from 1867 to 1925?
Yes, there were, then as now, tons of fleeting specific-issue and regional parties. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (now NDP) and Social Credit Party emerged on the Prairies with radical responses to bad times in the 1930s. They ushered in three-way (or more) races where sometimes a small plurality of voters could elect an MP.
This challenge to democracy has raised occasional calls for proportional representation, which went nowhere. The B.C. process in 2018 left many voters like me bewildered by multiple choices that few had even considered as possibilities.
Canada faces more emergencies than just one. May our political leaders, however well or badly elected, be agile and lucky.
Peter Richards Victoria
Yes, we should have proportional representation. But to make Parliament truly representational, we should change our party system.
Instead of a few big-tent parties, we should have a number of smaller but clearly focused parties. We should have a party that is fiscally and socially conservative; a party that is fiscally conservative and socially liberal; a party that is fiscally and socially liberal. Then we should have a truly left-wing democratic socialist party, a true right-wing party and, of course, a green party.
In this way, voters would have to carefully decide what they believe in and vote accordingly. In this way we would have a truly representative Parliament.
Bernie Koenig London, Ont.
Western alienation in Canada claims to be about fairness, but I think it's largely driven by frustration that most Canadians don't vote like most Westerners.
The system gives every province fair representation, but Ontario and Quebec have more people – so they often decide elections. That shouldn't be seen as a flaw in democracy; it's how majority rule works. The core grievance, then, isn't exclusion, but disagreement with the outcome, making the movement less democratic than it appears.
If the West became its own country, it's unclear how committed separatists would be to democracy at home. Would they accept losing power if voters choose different leaders or policies? My fear is that the demand isn't for fair representation, but permanent control.
If their own majority turns against them, they may reject the same democratic rules they once claimed to defend.
Michael Hendzel Edmonton
Re 'Western discontent is a growing problem after Liberal election victory' (May 3): I might have missed it, but I couldn't find a single reference to climate change. It was, after all, the main reason for all those Liberal measures that so restricted Alberta's economy.
As someone who believes that such a threat to our economy and well-being should be part of political decision-making, I would like to hear how Albertans cope with their role in this looming catastrophe. I think I know the answer, but please ask the question.
Please also ask why Alberta won't take the brakes off its huge potential for leading our country's future in clean energy, thereby aligning strongly with much of the rest of Canada.
Peter Ladner Vancouver
Re 'Businesses love to blame Ottawa for a gloomy economy. They're a big part of the problem' (Report on Business, May 3): Countries that perform much better in productivity than Canada invariably have an 'all of government' commitment to support business innovation, including effective policies and programs that encourage companies to adopt business innovation practices.
In Canada, I don't see an 'all of government' commitment to nurture business innovation and competitiveness. Instead, I see non-supportive regulatory machinery and a chaotic array of programs and policies, many of which seem like a waste of taxpayer dollars. We should have a cohesive innovation strategy that creates incentives for Canadian companies to have effective innovation practices.
We live in a complex world. Pointing the finger at industry without acknowledging the essential role of government does not feel helpful.
Peter Morand Ottawa
Re 'From $10-toothpaste squeezers to 'recession blonde' hair, women's beauty trends are a pulse on the economy. Here's what they're showing' (Report on Business, May 7): My mom was able to 'extract every last ounce' from the only makeup she wore, lipstick.
Even in decline, she perched on the side of her bed, dipped her pinkie into an 'empty' tube and dabbed plummy rose onto her lips. Recently I used a toothpick to measure what remained below the rim of my own rich merlot: an extra ⅝ of an inch – enough to avoid the cosmetics counter for at least a month.
A lovely memory and practical lesson as Mother's Day approaches.
Marg Heidebrecht Hamilton
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