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

[Catherine Campbell]

Excellent letter, Dave


> On Jun 17, 2018, at 10:35 PM, Sharon Sommerville <sharonsommerville at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks Dave, it is very good.   Hope that the Star prints it, you could also send it to The Record.
> 
> Cheers,
> S.
> 
>> On Sun, Jun 17, 2018 at 10:23 PM, Dave Arthur <arthurd23 at bell.net> wrote:
>> 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.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>>  
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>> 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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> 
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