In a piece written for the Globe and Mail entitled, “First past the post sets Canada up for secession threats,” Andrew Coyne makes the case that the electoral system is at the root of separatist movements budding in multiple regions.

Blaming an electoral system for cracks emerging in a federation is lazy and ignores the reasons that the independence movements formed in the first place. Trying to tweak or redraft an electoral system with the intent of pigeonholing independence movements likely would cause those movements to explode with growth rather than weaken them.

Proportional representation systems haven’t stopped independence movements from flourishing in other countries.

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Scotland and Spain both have well established independence movements within them. The Scottish Parliament uses the Additional Member System which is a mixed system combining constituency FPTP seats with proportional regional list seats, explicitly designed to produce more proportional overall results. The Scottish National Party, along with the Scottish Greens, has sustained a strong independence movement and has repeatedly won pro-independence majorities or pluralities in Holyrood elections.

Spain’s national Congress of Deputies uses a proportional system and Catalonia’s regional parliament is also elected by proportional representation. Catalonia has a long-standing, active independence movement and support for independence has typically ranged from roughly 30–45% in recent polls.

Belgium also has a proportional representation system and there is a strong Flemish independence movement playing major roles in regional and federal politics there.

If Canada were to adopt a new electoral system without changing the underlying causes of regional grievances, independence movements would simply adapt to the new system. In fact, they could become stronger as the current system has kept explicitly separatist candidates out of legislatures in the West, but a proportional representation system would allow independence parties to garner seats even with small vote shares. They then could become very influential as coalitions are formed to try and maintain a government.

Quebec’s secession movement has nothing to do with Canada’s electoral system nor does Alberta’s. Changing how members are elected won’t make either movement go away. If Canada wants to reduce the separatism growing within it, it must address the fundamental reasons those movements began in the first place rather than trying to rig a system to shut out voices representing a growing segment of voters in multiple regions.