Editor,
In February of this year, our provincial government distributed a questionnaire asking for our opinion on how to set up the fall referendum on our voting system. At that time, this newspaper ran a web poll, asking what voting system readers preferred. You reported that 61 per cent thought we should switch to one of the proportional representation systems on offer.
The fairness of our voting system is fundamental to our democracy. Your web poll suggests that a majority of local people think that proportional rep would make it fairer.
But there is a problem here. It is important that newspapers cover significant and controversial issues from various points of view, but The Interior News does not seem to be doing so. On June 20, you carried a full page ad implying that the upcoming referendum was not going to be fair. The June 27 issue carried three ads, two unequivocally against proportional rep, and one again suggesting the referendum will be unfair. Your July 4 issue contained no ads, but one letter, headlined ‘Leave Electoral System Alone.’
Of course The Interior News can’t be faulted for running ads, but the total effect is not balanced. The June 7 Terrace Standard published a thoughtful piece by Andre Carrel in which he argues that the greater complexity of political life today means that our old voting system needs updating. Maybe you could reprint it?
One of the ads mentioned above contains the bizarre insinuation that there is something unfair about a referendum that asks two questions: first, whether or not we want to change to a proportional rep system, and if we do, then second, what form of proportional rep we favour. But in fact, this is a perfectly fair and reasonable way to structure the referendum. Some people will want to answer the first question, in favour of proportional rep, but will not care much about the exact system. Other people will have a definite opinion about the details, so will also answer the second question. We think this is just common sense.
For those who do like the idea of proportional rep and want to learn more about the various versions, and which might be the best kind for B.C., you can check out Wikipedia, which has a substantial entry. Also, there is an organization called Fair Vote Canada BC (not the same as FairReferendum.com) that has a lot of information.
We hope to see more letters on this subject in The Interior News!
Lee MacKay, Susan Dawn Douglas, Sharron McCrimmon
Hazelton
Editor’s note: This was sent the day before the July 11 issue, which includes a pro-proportional representation letter ‘Our present system is not democracy.’ More letters with any viewpoint on this subject and others are welcome, as are advertisements.