Premier Dalton McGuinty’s announcement that the Harper government has agreed to treat Ontario equitably in the next expansion of the House of Commons – 21 more seats for Ontario – is good news indeed. With Harper’s record, that is to say his failure to meet 90% or so of his commitments, no one should be too confident that Ontario’s sway in Parliament will be commensurate with its 40% of the national population. There is a high probability legislation to effect changes to the Commons will never survive this minority Parliament and Harper’s support for Ontario’s plea for fair representation may be nothing more than a sap to the majority of provincial voters who have refused to move to the conservative side. Will it survive the next cries of outrage from the other nine alienated provinces who like it just fine that Ontario is underrepresented?
