Vote for FPTP and start again

Those favouring proportional representation seem to consider their hopes and wishes as fact. Their positions run the gamut from: members in the legislature will behave better to the suggestion that members with more varied party affiliations will lead to better decision-making.

The literature on group dynamics and decision-making suggests otherwise.

One benefit of first-past-thepost is that anyone wishing to hold office must stand for election and gain sufficient recognition and trust, including being scrutinized by the public and the press. This is our best method to assure the best candidates run. This will not happen if additional party members are appointed after the vote.

The government literature on mixed-member proportional offers New Zealand as a current model, but that system has flaws. A report in The Economist describes where a questionable individual could have been added to a list of MPs to be appointed by the party under their PR system.

Our government is asking us to vote on options that are not well thought out, have not been worked out in detail or have not been tried elsewhere. And the government will make these electoral system choices on their own.

We need to start again. The only way is to vote in favour of FPTP (i.e. the status quo), and start again with an independent approach to electoral reform.

Chris Fraser North Saanich