Why
In the 2025 federal election, we narrowly avoided a government majority won by the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) – increasingly a far-right party imitating the MAGA GOP in Trump’s America. CPC leader Poilievre managed to win a seat in Alberta and 81% support for continuing as leaders from his stalwart grassroots base. He wants to stop federal climate action, increase support for expansion of the fossil fuel industry, deport immigrants and refugees, privatization of health care and more. He advocates for reduced taxes on the wealthy/corporate class and diminished social safety net for the rest of us. The threat is still real. The Liberal minority might not last a full four year term. While Prime Minister Carney is respected on the world stage and is working to expand our global markets and trade alliances quickly, he has also reversed the environmental protections and climate action plans of our previous Liberal Government even more speedily. We need to prepare ourselves to fight the rise of the far right across Canada and deeply divisive politics, now.
In the 2025 Ontario provincial election, Premier Doug Ford, positioning himself as Captain Canada, secured a third false majority. Safely unchallenged in a legislature that has sat in Queen’s Park for a mere 51 days in 2025, the Progressive Conservative government has pushed through omnibus bills continuing the pattern of environmental destruction, privatization of public institutions, development of parkland, conservation lands and farmlands. Evidence of corruption in the Greenbelt scandal is still under investigation while new accusations of cronyism cloud the dispersal of funds for training. And to frustrate a lawsuit brought by young people in 2019 against Ontario’s government for weakening 2030 climate targets, arguing it violates the Charter rights to life, liberty, and security, the government cancelled Ontario’s Climate Plan completely just days before a court appearance. We need to build a movement of cooperation to end this reign of destruction.
You may wonder: “Fair Vote is a national organization campaigning for Proportional Representation. Why is Cooperate for Canada engaging in a campaign for Proportional Representation too?” Fair Vote is non-partisan; however, Cooperate for Canada does not take that position. In fact we have, from our first efforts for electoral cooperation, encouraged members to work with the progressive political party of their choice at all levels – membership, leadership, riding associations, elected members and potential candidates. Building trusted relationships – listening, debating, opening the possibilities for alternatives, rallying together with other parties on common concerns. Then in the next elections, we plan to campaign for electoral cooperation one last time to finally overcome the dysfunction of our First Past the Post electoral system. With all our efforts we aim to achieve proportional representation through cooperation of the progressive parties, giving voters a fair distribution of elected Party members, reflecting every voter’s choice.