Re: Seniors quite capable of being informed, Letters, Aug. 7.
Understanding my constituents’ concerns, making their voices heard in the legislature and ensuring they are well-informed about the impact of government decisions is a job I take seriously.
Recently, I’ve been sharing information about proportional representation and the upcoming referendum and my concerns about how it could affect British Columbians.
It surprised me to see in a recent letter, “Seniors quite capable of being informed,” that the writer believes an interview I gave inferred seniors can’t learn something new. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the radio interview on the referendum on proportional representation, I talked about how proportional representation could be challenging for people with cognitive disabilities and those seniors who may have declining cognitive abilities or who’ve been diagnosed with dementia. I was advocating for those constituents who may struggle with the new form of ballot.
I can assure the letter writer and all of my constituents that I have no doubt that people, regardless of age, can learn something new. My concern is when voters are making an important decision on who they want to represent them in the legislature, the system should be simple and easy to understand for everyone.
There’s plenty of information to inform people about the referendum debate, including at https://www.nobcprorep.ca/.
What it comes down to is this referendum is structured in a way that tips the scale in favour of proportional representation and will diminish the voice of rural populations by using the lowest voter turnout threshold. It’s a stacked deck in a rigged game.
Michelle Stilwell
MLA Parksville-Qualicum