Editor:
Re: More MPs not the answer, Murphy's Law, Nov. 2
Under the auspices of restoring "fair" representation to all provinces, the Harper government is introducing legislation to redraw Canada's political map. It would expand the Commons chamber to 338 from 308 seats, adding six for B.C., 15 more for Ontario, six for Alberta and, voila, three more for Quebec, further ballooning Ottawa's already bloated federal government apparatus.
Notwithstanding the basic unfairness of Canada's regional system of parliamentary seat allocation with Quebec always winning, a more blatant electoral lopsidedness deserves attention.
With a population roughly that of California, a comparative view of Canada's federal government structure vis--vis that of our much-maligned neighbour to the south provides an interesting and revealing rep/pop perspective.
Presently, we have 308 MPs and 105 senators for a parliamentary total of 413 legislators representing 33 million Canadians, a representation-to-population ratio of 80,000 people to one parliamentary legislator.
By comparison our neighbours to the south have 435 representatives and 100 senators for an overall congressional total of 535 legislators representing 305 million Americans. That's a representation-to-population ratio of 570,000 people to one congressional legislator.
If our representation-by-population formula were to be applied in the United States, they'd be "blessed" with a total of 3,800 congressional legislators.
Conversely, if we applied the U.S. representation-by-population formula to Canada's two legislative bodies, we would have a mere 57 parliamentary legislators.
Moreover, the Unites States is clearly "deficient" with only 21 cabinet members while, after our recent federal election, we have 28 cabinet ministers, not counting 10 ministers of state and a "gaggle" of 27 parliamentary secretaries.
Enough already!
E.W. Bopp
