The first time Prince Edward Islanders voted on electoral reform, they voted to keep the status quo. That was in 2005. Mark Greenan was involved in the campaign then, and ended up writing a masters thesis on the topic. The second time Islanders voted on electoral reform was in a 2016 plebiscite where 52% of voters expressed a preference for a mixed-member proportional system. The voters were ready, but the government wasn’t. Citing low voter turnout, the Government is choosing to hold another vote.
When the upcoming provincial election happens (at a date of the Government’s choosing between now and next October), Islanders will be asked to choose between the current system and a Mixed Member Proportional one. Mark Greenan has been at the forefront of the movement for proportional representation on PEI since it began. On this episode of the Off Script podcast, we speak with Mark about the Island’s lengthy journey towards electoral reform (and his own journey).
