Election system is flawed

There is a phrases I hear from people during elections that drives me crazy: "I don't want to waste my vote."
This infuriates me because a vote cast is not a waste, end of story.
However, I do see why some people feel this way. Some people want to vote for a candidate or party that has a chance of winning the riding or the election as a whole and they feel that a vote for a party that has no chance of winning the riding or the election is a waste.
It's not a waste and it shouldn't be seen that way but in a way, I can't blame people for feeling this way because of our flawed system. The current system that gives the riding to the candidate who has the most votes regardless of the total percentage of the votes doesn't work and gives an inaccurate representation of the people's wishes in Parliament.
For example, up to 2004, we had 3 1/2 decades of majority rule (except for nine months) and in all but one of those elections, the winning party received less than 50 per cent of the popular vote. So why should a party get more than 50 per cent of the seats and do whatever it wants even though more than half of the nation voted against it?
This is why I support a mixed member proportional (MMP) representation system because it is much more democratic than what we have.
An MMP system allots half to two-thirds of the seats via ridings. The rest are at-large seats doled out based on the total percentage of the vote.
In this system, voters get two ballots - one to vote for the MP in their riding and the other to vote on the party they choose overall, which lists every party regardless of which parties are running a candidate locally.
For example, in Moose Jaw this election, this system would allow someone to vote for the Christian Heritage Party, even though that party has no candidate on the other ballot.
Also, if a person really likes the candidate for the Liberal party, for example, but the Liberals are not his or her first choice of party, he or she can vote for that candidate as MP and then support the party that is his or her first choice on the other ballot.
This means nobody can feel their vote is wasted.
Right now, based on recent polls, the Green party is averaging about 10 per cent in polls. The chances are very good that, unless the stars align, the Green party will be shut out again and left without any seats in this election even if it gets 10 per cent of the vote.
In an MMP system, if 10 per cent of people vote Green on the party ballot, then it would get about 10 per cent of the total seats, which is about 30 seats. The at-large seats would be used to make up the party's total if it doesn't win enough ridings.
So, it's no wonder people feel their vote is a waste if they are part of the 10 per cent that supports the Greens and the party gets no seats.
This system would mean more minority governments, but I prefer those. I think more gets accomplished. As well, if everybody tried to work together and if the fixed date law were followed, then there still wouldn't be a lot of elections.
It's time all Canadians were fairly represented in the House of Commons, which doesn't happen right now.
And in this election, the Green party is going to be a perfect example in showing why the system doesn't works.

Jason Small can be reached at 691-1255.