To the editor,
To maintain support of three Green MLAS, John Horgan wants to persuade British Columbians to vote for proportional representation.
Proportionate representation will empower the far-right and opens the doors of legislature to far-right politicians: School trustees have attacked sexual orientation programs. White supremacist/neo-nazi flyers have circulated.
In our first-past-the-post electoral system, politicians are only elected in geographic ridings where they get the most votes. Mainstream parties must find consensus from all ethnicities and sexual orientations. Radical right and left parties are twice as likely to gain seats under the PR system.
Under proportional representation, Austria’s Freedom Party (once led by former Nazi) won 51 of 183 seats. In Germany, the anti-immigrant AFG Party won 13 per cent of the vote but 94 seats due to its vote share. Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Greece and Bulgaria have extremist groups gaining prominence. The NDP wants to implement this system in B.C.
The UK, like Canada, has a FPP system uninfluenced by extremists; the U.K.Independence Party, with 12.6 per cent popular vote, has one Parliamentary seat. Under PR, it would have 82 seats.
New Zealand’s PR system has allowed the extremist First Party with no geographic ridings to hold the balance of power. With nine seats, the leader is now deputy PM and has slashed immigration and banned foreign ownership of property.
Voting no to proportionate representation is not a vote against the NDP or Green parties; it is a vote for continued tolerance of all British Columbians.
Michael Warsh, Nanaimo
The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. If you have a different view, we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below.