PR leads to economic doom

Proportional representation advocates claim their proposed ill-deÀned models will give us more voice and every vote counts, therefore better governance.

There is no proof that anything of the sort happens. In fact, there is ample proof the opposite will occur. Simply look at the economic and political basket cases that Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and many other PR-voting countries have become.

Every country that uses PR has become subject to higher and higher spiralling government spending as a proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Statistics show that voting by PR results in spending as a percentage of GDP rising.

For example: Scandinavian countries 47 to 58 per cent (highest Denmark); Mediterranean countries 45 to 52 per cent (highest Greece); France 56 per cent, Belgium 53 per cent; New Zealand 48 per cent.

Where the North American Àrst-pastthe-post system is used, government spending as a percentage of GDP is generally lower: Canada 42 per cent, USA 41 per cent.

PR means there is less money in the hands of workers and business to spend on consumer goods or savings.

For the average citizen, PR means higher taxes, greater bureaucracy, governments unable to sit in parliament while coalitions are forged and re-forged in backrooms.

It means the radical and extreme views can dominate the policy as ruling parties are forced to capitulate to single-issue parties that can topple the government at any moment.

Unpopular policies become law as leaders cling to power. Look at the change in German immigration policy after six months of building a coalition with a Bavarian partner of the ruling party controlling immigration, Italy refusing port access to refugee ships, Czech Republic refusing to accept migrants as the populist minority sets its heels in to stop them.

The countries using PR have all become socialist countries by Canadian standards. The democratic principles upon which Canada has become one of the world’s most desirable places to live, are at risk of disappearing. Doug Waines, West Kelowna