To the editor,
I’m 85 years old. I won’t be here much longer. I’m leaving a big batch of descendants behind, and I don’t want to leave them hornswoggled by the disguised dictatorship of first-past-the-post which has left me unrepresented in my governments for most of my federal and provincial votes.
I want to leave them with an honest, fair representation every time they vote, so that they feel their vote is important. They may not find themselves in whatever group wins the largest number of seats in every election, but the group they align themselves with in values should have an influence in all resulting legislation. In other words I want them to live in a truly representative democracy.
Our old-fashioned
FPTP system has served the moneyed very well, but it has ignored the needs and wishes of our poorer majority. The inequality it has nurtured has reached the level we should be ashamed of in a true democracy.
Only proportional representation can modernize our outdated system.
It is the richest legacy we can leave those who follow.
Ian MacKenzie, Kamloops
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Proportional representation is a dangerous idea
To the editor,
To ensure that proportional representation is successful this time around, the 2018 referendum question has been rigged by the parties that would most benefit from change.
Rather than offering clarity, three alternative PR options are being proposed, one of which has never been tried before anywhere in the world.
No mention is made of electoral boundaries or other details that might influence an informed decision. In short, the NDP government, the Green Party and Vote PR B.C. are asking us to buy a pig in a poke, which is like buying a used car without checking the engine, or a house without a building inspection. Don’t do it.
John Amon, Victoria
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.