Aylward floats idea of scrapping political parties on P.E.I.

Progressive Conservative Leader James Aylward thinks it might be time to do away with the traditional political party system on Prince Edward Island.

He suggests replacing it with a consensus government, the type used in Nunavut where every MLA runs as an independent,and is elected by voters in the district.

Then, after the election, the winning candidates get together and choose a premier and a cabinet by secret ballot.

"The research that I've done has shown me there's much more consensus in all of the decision making," Aylward said on CBC News: Compass.

'Working for your constituents'

"You're working for your constituents, you're working for the people that put you there versus ... maybe working for your political party and the agenda they might be putting forward."

Aylward said as the province looks at electoral reform, it should broaden the conversation and and consider all options.

"Certainly I believe it would lead to a more effective government, certainly take a lot of the partisanship away," he said.

"Think about the possibilities. If we had the cabinet sitting around the table — you had Darlene Compton there, and you had Peter Bevan-Baker and Sidney MacEwen and Robert Mitchell — all working together, not for the party but for the benefit of all Islanders. I think it would speak volumes."

Aylward also believes it would increase the number of people running in a district because they wouldn't be attached to a particular party.

"I think there would be a higher level of engagement within the political system here on P.E.I."

Consulted PC caucus

Aylward said when he spoke to his PC caucus and members of the party about a consensus government, nobody discouraged him from advancing the idea.

When asked by Compass host Sally Pitt if it's something he would commit to if his party won the next election, he said it's a model of government he would like to move toward, but "it's not going to happen overnight.

"It's going to take a lot of discussion. It's going to take co-operation from all levels, from all parties to really push the envelope forward and to make something as radical as this happen in a province that has been so entrenched in the political parties for so many years."

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