[fvc-wat-disc] Lobbying avaaz.org

[lanickerson at b2b2c.ca]

Awesome, Kevin!

There was a lot of discussion on the Fair Vote Canada yahoo group about Avaaz
before the election. They were promoting strategic voting without promoting
proportional representation - which is like advocating putting putting on a
band aid (whether you agree with it or not) while overlooking the disease
causing the wound! Fair voters did write to them and were told, "not enough of
our members are interested in proportional representation as a priority". So
you are bang on, Kevin! Avaaz promoting PR would be a huge help for us, but in
order for them to do so, and feel such a campaign would succeed, they need to
hear from us!

They subsequently came out with a strategic voting letter that referred in one
sentence to "electoral reform", which could very well mean Alternative Vote,
the other winner take all system which would produce results just as distorted
compared to the popular vote, leave smaller parties unrepresented or
underrepresented, and permanently entrench strategic voting. So we need to be
clear that we want proportional representation - equal and effective votes.

I would encourage everyone who is so inclined to send something like Kevin's
letter to Avaaz.

Anita

Quoting Kevin Smith <kevedsmith at gmail.com>:

> Hi folks:
>
> I recently contacted avaaz.org about the proportional representation issue
> in Canada.
> This is a powerful online advocacy organization.  If we could get their
> numbers
> trumpeting our cause, that would be a big boost to us.
>
> They can be reached at:
>
> http://www.avaaz.org/en/contact/
>
> And here is the message I sent them:
>
> Dear Avaaz:
>
> Canada has recently elected another "false majority" government -- one that
> has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, and 100% of the executive
> and legislative power, with the support of only 40% of those who actually
> voted, and about 25% of eligible voters.
>
> Many of us feel this is wrong, and that it is time that Canada joins most
> modern democracies by switching to a system of proportional representation.
> Then, no party could have a majority government without appealing to at
> least 50% of the voting public.
>
> It would also give smaller parties more of a voice.  For instance, the Green
> party got almost 4% of the vote in the last election, and won its first
> seat, but it would receive 12 seats under a proportional system.  (There are
> currently 308 seats in the House of Commons.)
>
> I imagine that the current government would resist this change, even though
> their leader has supported it in the past.  They're benefiting too much from
> the current system.
>
> However, opposition parties and civil society groups might be convinced to
> work together and launch a national dialogue around a new system that most
> parties could get behind, and hopefully implement it in four years' time.
>
> It's a long process to decide on a new system, but if we had a campaign to
> kickstart the discussion now, it might be achievable.
>
> In the days after the election, Fair Vote Canada received 2000 e-mails from
> people interested in joining, so I think this is definitely the right time
> to give this issue a big push.
>
> Thanks,
> Kevin Smith
> Canada
>


Anita
Want to have a real say in democracy? Want to see a more democratic,
compassionate Canada? Help me make every vote count! www.fairvote.ca