Apparently the “No” campaign in the B.C. referendum on electoral reform has no option other than ugly, negative advertising that is largely inane, inflammatory rhetoric based on misleading and inaccurate information.
These tactics are disturbing, but not surprising, assaults on attempts to bring fairness to our democracy.
The “No” campaign and their supporters infer that voters will lose the right to elect all of their MLAs under the three models of “Proportional Representation” (PR) on the ballot; suggesting that there will be “closed party lists” instead. The reality is that NONE of the parties and citizens/advocacy groups involved support closed lists; thereby making closed lists a non-starter and a realistic impossibility.
Another very questionable claim is that PR allows “fringe” parties to hold the balance of power. The research shows otherwise. If some of them win more than 5% of the vote and get a seat in government; that is fair and their views will then be exposed to intense public scrutiny. If they are too “extreme” the other parties will refuse to work with them; therefore: zero influence on government. This is what has transpired in Europe.
Voters on both sides of the political spectrum should remember Glen Clark’s NDP victory in 1996 where he got 100% of the power and six more seats than Gordon Campbell’s Liberals; in spite of the Liberals receiving 2.5% more of the vote. Recently Doug Ford in Ontario received 100% of the power with about 40% of the vote. That is the norm under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) and is anything but fair to the voters. Therein lies the “No” campaign’s dilemma.
This referendum may be the most important vote any of us will ever make. Let’s make it count.
Murray Chantler
Qualicum Beach