<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
</head><body>
<p>Lots of letters to the editor in The Star and Globe.</p>
<p>There was also a consensus with almost all of them castigating Trudeau.</p>
<p>One opposing view - The Record editorial. Surprise!!!</p>
<p>Do we have some letters being sent to The Record?</p>
<p>Dave A</p>
<blockquote type="cite">
---------- Original Message ----------
<br />From: Donald Fraser <donaldafraser@gmail.com>
<br />Date: February 3, 2017 at 12:15 PM
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<br />
</div>I'll pick the negative one ... just love a scrap ... so here's my response
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
======================================================
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Editor,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'times new roman'; font-weight: normal;">Re:</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'times new roman'; color: black;">The political fallout of breaking a promise</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'times new roman'; color: black; font-weight: normal;"> by Joanna Smith_Feb3_2017</span></h1>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text">Ms Smith asks, “<span style="color: #5a5a5a;">But what of the majority of Canadians? Do they care? Does it matter?” in reference to Electoral Reform (ER). </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">It matters. In our system of First Past the Post (FPTP), votes cast for a Green candidate, for example, who loses are useless. The Planet-caring, environmentally conscious, politically aware voters in the particular riding have no say in </span><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">Ottawa</span><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">. A certain percentage of all Canadians want Green objectives to be part of the laws of </span><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">Canada</span><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">It matters because these environmentalists should have their say in the structure of government. In a proportional system, for instance, every vote counts to obtain the same percentage of seats for a party as the party received in the national vote count. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">It matters because they may not vote in the next election, knowing that their votes won’t count.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">I matters because, due to discouragement, they may cease to engage in the political discussion and the environment will suffer for it.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">Later Smith states, “Then there is a much larger group that knows little and cares less about ER” in reference to the Canadian electorate at large.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">“... knows little and cares less ... “ is simply cause and effect. Unfortunately, it is difficult to excite the electorate about ER possibilities when they “know little”. Attempts to educate the public about ER are generally regarded as “election activity” which annoys citizens between elections. To be fair there is a small percentage which does respond with enthusiasm.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;" class="gmail-printable-text"><span style="color: #5a5a5a;">New Zealand (NZ) solved the problem by having a trial run at Mixed Member PR (MMPR) for four terms. The electorate was educated by experience and when consulted after the trial, voted for MMPR over the former FPTP system. Their experience demonstrates that an educated public will choose a proportional alternative to our antiquated and unfair FPTP which wastes the votes of any citizen whose local candidate did not win in their riding.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt;" class="MsoNormal">Germany has practiced MMPR since WW2. The resulting stable form of coalition government has allowed Germans to become the master long term planners we recognize them for. They avoid the 'Policy Pendulum' in which false majority governments cancel, at great expense to the taxpayer, the projects of the preceding government. Rather each new government improves and supports policies of the previous government.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yours Truly,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Donald A Fraser,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">184 Forsyth Drive,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Waterloo, Ontario,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">N2L-1A2</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">519-576-9210</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">
<br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
On 2 February 2017 at 23:02, Sharon Sommerville <
<a target="_blank" href="mailto:sharonsommerville@gmail.com">sharonsommerville@gmail.com</a>> wrote:
<br />
<blockquote>
<div dir="ltr">
Hello
<span id="m_-8079304990863333784:2do.1">FairVoting</span> Friends,
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Two great articles in today's Record for us to respond to:
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www">http://www</a>.
<span id="m_-8079304990863333784:2do.2">therecord</span>.com/news-
<wbr />story/7100196-the-political-
<wbr />fallout-of-breaking-a-promise/
<br />
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www">http://www</a>.
<span id="m_-8079304990863333784:2do.3">therecord</span>.com/
<wbr />opinion-story/7098054-d-
<span id="m_-8079304990863333784:2do.4">amato</span>-
<wbr />broken-promise-may-haunt-
<wbr />liberals/
<br />
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
We should capitalize on these articles with letters to the editor. A couple of letters in response to each letter would be wonderful. Any number would be great.
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Have sent the request out to our larger discussion list as some new names would be helpful!
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
Let me know if you can take either of these on.
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
With thanks,
</div>
<div>
Sharon
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
<div>
<br />
</div>
</div>
<br />______________________________
<wbr />_________________
<br /> This is the fvc-wat-disc mailing list
<br /> Post a message:
<a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">fvc-wat-disc@listserv.<wbr />thinkers.org</a>
<br /> Unsubscribe:
<a target="_blank" href="http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org">http://listserv.thinkers.org/<wbr />mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_<wbr />listserv.thinkers.org</a>
<br />
<br />
</blockquote>
</div>
<br />
</div>_______________________________________________
<br />This is the fvc-wat-disc mailing list
<br />Post a message: fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org
<br />Unsubscribe: http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org
<br />
</blockquote>
<p><br /> </p>
</body></html>