Nathan Cullen outlined his first policy proposal as a candidate for the leadership of the Federal NDP late last month, and it’s one that strays quite a bit from the current electoral system.
Cullen’s proposal calls for the Liberal Party, the Green Party and the NDP to hold joint nomination meetings to put one candidate against the Conservative candidates in ridings currently held by the government. The candidate would run under his or her party banner.
“The system we have now is fundamentally flawed,” said Cullen.
“One thing I note is that the government has formed a majority with only about 40 per cent support from those who bothered to vote, and that is ridiculous...There are people sitting in the House right now with only one-third of support from their riding. To better align the government with the wants of the people, we need change.”
Before the joint nomination took place, all three riding associations would have to agree to participate and each card-carrying member of each party would have a vote, which Cullen says ensures democracy is honoured.
However, some online have questioned whether making a member of a party choose between two parties they don’t agree with is democratic at all.