Pro rep’s fairness proven elsewhere
Editor’s note: To help balance out a pair of guest columns from retired MLAs arguing against proportional representation, we asked the local group advocating in favour of electoral reform to provide two columns of its own. The second piece will run Wednesday.
We have an historic opportunity to bring a new way of voting to our province that will provide people with more choice and fairer outcomes.
Nice months ago, a group of grassroots volunteers from our region gathered together, excited with the chance to fix our voting system, which has alienated youth, and disillusioned many of us.
When we started up this local chapter, called Fair Vote South Okanagan Similkameen, we were inspired by the idea that a fairer voting system would give us better democracy. This would give more accountability in government, with MLAs who co-operate to solve our big problems instead of fighting with each other for power.
Due to our current first-past-the-post voting system in B.C., in most of our elections only about 50 per cent or less of our votes elect MLAs.
The other 50 per cent elect no one; their votes are wasted.
Since the 1950s, 15 of the last 17 elections in B.C. were false majorities where 50 per cent or less of the votes resulted in 100 per cent of the power. I find these facts to be appalling and very sad. That isn’t how most of us think democracy is supposed to work. Democracy is supposed to mean that we all have a voice in government, not just half of us.
I am a retired microbiologist, and my love of data and facts is precisely why I am overwhelmingly in favour of proportional representation. There is a mountain of evidence from decades of research analyzing the differences between the 90-plus successful democracies in the world who have some form of pro rep and countries with winner-take-all systems like ours.
Out of 34 OECD nations, we are just one of three holding onto FPTP. Facts and data clearly support that pro rep countries are every bit as stable as those with FPTP. They have higher voter turnout, elect more women and its cooperation imperative produces better long-term thinking in policy areas like action on the environment. We have an exciting chance in front of us. Let’s not let this amazing opportunity go out with the recycling. Find your ballot. Consider the information put out by Elections BC and try the quiz at www.referendumguide.ca to help you find what system best reflects your values.
Our volunteer group has worked hard for nine months educating people about pro rep and we are leaving it in your hands now.
Choose hope for a new and better way of doing things instead of letting fear keep you from moving forward. Our current voting system is failing to protect us from the changing world around us. It is time for cooperation and stability.
Let’s seize this opportunity to foster a government that works for the greater good for everyone in B.C.
Diana McGregor is the volunteer chair of Fair Vote South Okanagan Similkameen