Conservatives can’t play well with others

Re: “Why proportional representation is a bad idea,” comment, Aug. 9.

I saw the headline and immediately looked to the author’s information and noted the connection to the Fraser Institute. That says it all: a conservative thinktank.

With the Conservatives actively campaigning for a referendum on electoral reform, I’m not surprised to see support documentation such as this being circulated to media. And the argument follows recent Conservative hot buttons by fearmongering (fringe parties could exert influence!) and fiscal prudence (“countries with PR election rules tend not only to spend more”).

What is unsaid — given the Conservatives’ demonstrated inability to “play well with others” — is the need for co-operation amongst elected representatives in PR governments. That point is the root of Conservative concerns about electoral reform: the loss of influence they will experience when surrounded by more progressives.

The Liberals, NDP and Greens all campaigned in the recent federal election on a platform that included electoral reform, and together they received 67 per cent of the votes. The committee examining electoral reform is a reflection of the future. All parties are represented and working together — except for the Conservatives, who are dragging their knuckles.

Fran Wallace Victoria