Letter: Let's get more democratic with Proportional Representation
By Letters to the editor
We are told daily we are a democracy, but we do not have democratic governments. We still have a form of colonial rule, where the power goes to whichever party benefits most from an irrational system that results in “majority” governments that are often won by less than 40% of the vote.
A Proportional ballot separating the candidate vote from the party vote will redistribute that power, by awarding each party the number of seats they should have, according to the popular vote.
A federal all-party Special Committee for Electoral Reform conducted by former federal NDP MP Nathan Cullen some time ago established about 75% of the Canadian people would like to use a Proportional ballot.
That same survey also established about 75% of our federal MPs would like to use a Proportional ballot.
BC has had three referendums on electoral reform, but only the third and final referendum included Proportional ballots.
During the last federal election an incredible 49% of Canadians voted AGAINST a party or candidate they did not like, rather than vote FOR a party or candidate they wanted to elect.
During elections in Denmark, where they have used multi-member Proportional ballots for decades voter turn-out is usually about 80% and about 90% of the ballots cast in an election usually helped elect a candidate and a party voters wanted.
A Proportional ballot will consistently produce democratic governments where the people can better influence all the decisions that are implemented by our politicians, who now will be performing like Trustees.
Those decisions will all be a reflection of the consensus of the majority of the people who participate in that truly democratic process.
A Proportional ballot will put an end to our current dysfunctional and autocratic colonial political system, that consistently has been producing fake majority governments, supported by about 40% of the popular vote.
Here is an example of what a ballot would look like with Proportional Representation:
Thanks,
Andy Thomsent
Kelowna, BC
