Historically they haven't; currently they have. They operate well within that range and consider that normal. So the consequence is for suburban voters; they're underrepresented as a whole compared to rural voters. But you can see that suburban voters are underrepresented compared to urban voters. If you live in Brampton, your vote is worth less than if you live in downtown Toronto. You also see other anomalies where western Ontario has a different voting power than eastern Ontario. What's the principled basis for that?
It doesn't have to be 5%—I think it could be 5% or 10%—but we've used those legitimate exceptions that are out there, like the northernmost riding in Ontario, or Labrador, or the Gulf Islands, to set their 25% rule. Instead, we should have a narrower norm and then exemptions for that small number that are actually exceptional