Well-represented

The CP reports that while it's not yet clear how Quebec's political parties will cooperate following last week's election, one possible point of agreement may be a push toward proportional representation, as key figures from each major provincial party are trying to move the province toward PR:

Several high-profile political figures in Quebec are calling for sweeping changes to the province's electoral laws.

They want Quebec to adopt a system of proportional representation in time for the next provincial election...

Among those calling for changes are former Liberal MP Liza Frulla, ex-Parti Quebecois cabinet ministers Jean-Pierre Charbonneau and Louise Beaudoin, as well as the Action democratique du Quebec's first leader, Jean Allaire.

It's particularly interesting to note the stark difference between Quebec's history of majority governments, and the new recognition of the better representation that could result from PR.

While the move is positive enough for Quebec alone, the timing also couldn't be much better on a national scale. After all, given the tendency for other parts of Canada to look to Quebec to send signals as to political trends, any all-party agreement as to the value of more fair representation can only turn up the heat on the federal Cons to at least give PR a fair hearing, rather seeking to bury it through a stacked consultation process. And even if the Cons prefer to try to fight a Quebec consensus, the federal opposition could see this as another fruitful area for cooperation to effectively ensure that Harper won't come out of the next federal election with a majority.

Of course, any progress on the federal level will likely only come after Quebec takes some strong action first. But today's (however unfortunately timed) announcement looks to be a big step in the right direction.