All-or-nothing votes.

We vote for parties, not issues, so we’re forced to take the whole package, even the parts we disagree with.

A ballot picks one candidate, usually with a party name. In the House, recorded votes usually follow that party.

One vote, one candidate

Votes that follow the party

The ballot and the whip are how a party package is chosen and then voted. They are not a list of issues on the ballot.

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Sources

  1. Elections Canada, Canada’s Political System
  2. House of Commons Procedure and Practice, chapter 1
  3. Library of Parliament, Omnibus Bills: Frequently Asked Questions, revised 26 January 2022
  4. Samara Centre for Democracy, House Inspection, 42nd Parliament
  5. Samara Centre for Democracy, The Reform Act
  6. Parliament of Canada Act, section 49.1
  7. Parliament of Canada Act, section 49.2
  8. Parliament of Canada Act, section 49.8