Misinformation about proportional voting

It’s coming from all angles. Are these pundits misleading themselves or are they misleading the public on purpose?

In the 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau won with a minority (39 per cent) of the vote, yet our first-past-the-post voting system gave him 100 per cent of the power. Is that a democratic outcome?

How about this: Justin Trudeau wins 39 per cent of the vote and receives 39 per cent of the power? Better? That’s how a proportional voting system works. Fair and balanced.

If we had a PR voting system in place now, we wouldn’t have a “fragile minority government.” We’d have a strong coalition majority government, one that would govern together for the benefit of all British Columbians. That’s one of the main aspects of PR: inclusiveness and co-operation between parties. PR builds coalitions, and different points of view are welcome.

If PR fails, it’s not the voting system that fails, it’s the political will. The system is stable and works wonders if the political will works with it.

The pundits are in full swing and will continue to produce misleading information (unintentional or otherwise) about PR, so sift through the information, remember to fact check, we all know there’s so much fake news out there. In fact, fact check this letter, and remember: “Knowledge is power.” Rick Habgood Co-chair, Greater Victoria Chapter Fair Vote Canada