[fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?

[Dave Arthur]

I sent out this letter to The Star earlier today for comments but maybe sent it to the wrong group address.
Let me know your thoughts.
I know it’s over the 150 word limit but couldn’t pare it down any more.
Maybe they’ll let it go.
Dave A


More misinformation against electoral reform.
Chrystia Freeland says “Facts and truth matter.” Bob Hepburn’s column ‘Rejecting  the siren call for electoral reform’ rejects both. 
Hepburn points to five risks, all as distorted as the election results under our current system.
First, minority governments have served Canada well and tiny parties do not get enough votes to meet the threshold required in most of the 90% of developed democracies using proportional systems. Pointing to atypical countries like Israel and Italy is misleading.
Second, Canada has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the world while most countries using PR where all votes count and strategic voting is not a factor have significantly higher voter turnouts.
Third, extreme right-wing parties are unlikely to gain oversized influence. Research shows governments elected under PR systems have more cooperation, consensus, and better long-range planning.
Fourth, PR systems, including MMP, have various methods of awarding, not appointing, MMPs that can give voters more choice, more representation, and better balance of urban and rural interests.
Fifth, B.C.’s 2005 referendum approved change to PR with 58% but was denied by the government that had won its election under FPTP with 39% of votes and required 60%. PEI’s referendum voted 52% for MMP but had voter turnout too low to be accepted. Ontario’s 2007 referendum, due to poor preparation by the government, was a fiasco. 70% of Ontarians did not know what the referendum was about and only 10% understood the proposed MMP system.


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Sharon Sommerville
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2018 1:13 PM
To: FVC Waterloo Region Discussion
Subject: [fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?

Hello All,

Would it be of interest to invite Bob Hepburn to discuss PR with Dennis Pilon or the journalist that wrote that supportive article in the Star?

It would be interesting.


Cheers,
S.

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