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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Minutes after I sent the message to The Record and Star, I got an e-mail from Ron at The Record saying they published my letter yesterday.</p><p class=MsoNormal>I checked with my neighbour’s hard copy and it was there but hasn’t been added online.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Interestingly, they went ahead and removed my first two sentences on their own.</p><p class=MsoNormal>I guess it was a bit too much.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Maybe it will appear online tomorrow.</p><p class=MsoNormal>We’ll see about The Star.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Dave</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:cdcampbell9@gmail.com">Catherine Campbell</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Sunday, June 24, 2018 11:31 AM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">FVC Waterloo Region Discussion</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi, Dave, Send this to the new editor in chief of the Waterloo Record. It printed an article about him. It seems he wants to try to deliver better local coverage. Try to contact him three days later to enquirer if he has read them. Regards, Cathe Campbell <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Jun 24, 2018, at 11:26 AM, Catherine Campbell <<a href="mailto:cdcampbell9@gmail.com">cdcampbell9@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hi, Dave<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Jun 24, 2018, at 9:59 AM, Dave Arthur <<a href="mailto:arthurd23@bell.net">arthurd23@bell.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>Since my letter has not been published by either the Record or Star, I sent the following followup letter to both of them this morning.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We’ll see but I’m not holding my breath.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I recently submitted the letter below, the purpose of which was to point out misinformation in Bob Hepburn’s column. The five risks he listed are not true and need to be challenged. They were clearly shown to be untrue throughout the testimony to the government’s ERRE proceedings last year. That should be a major purpose of journalism. It seems we can call out Doug Ford and Donald Trump for rejecting facts and truth, but not a columnist. You followed up Hepburn’s column with a letter from John Fessenden that made the same false claims that also need to be challenged. If my first two sentences are too offensive, then remove them. Hepburn’s ‘alternative’ facts need to be challenged. This is particularly important because the NO forces are attempting to prevent Canadians from adopting PR, used by 90% of other developed democracies, by putting out the same false and distorted claims.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>More misinformation against electoral reform.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Chrystia Freeland says “Facts and truth matter.” Bob Hepburn’s column ‘Rejecting the siren call for electoral reform’ rejects both. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Bob Hepburn points to five risks, all as distorted as the election results under our current system.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Fourth, PR systems, including MMP, have various methods of awarding, not appointing, MPs that can give voters more choice, more representation, and better balance of urban and rural interests.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:cdcampbell9@gmail.com">Catherine Campbell</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Thursday, June 21, 2018 3:07 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">FVC Waterloo Region Discussion</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Records letters editor. I’m just going into WLU Co-op Program to beg for a Co-op student for September to work for the company my husband and I own. I’ll try to remember to give you Rons number later<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Jun 21, 2018, at 2:07 PM, Dave Arthur <<a href="mailto:arthurd23@bell.net">arthurd23@bell.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Cathy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I always include my name, address, phone and e-mail.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Is Ron at The Star or The Record?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dave<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:cdcampbell9@gmail.com">Catherine Campbell</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Thursday, June 21, 2018 12:00 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">FVC Waterloo Region Discussion</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Resubmit it with your phone number, Dave. And call Ron DeRuyter and innocently ask if he’s planning on printing it. <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Jun 21, 2018, at 10:06 AM, Dave Arthur <<a href="mailto:arthurd23@bell.net">arthurd23@bell.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>Doesn’t look promising for my letter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nothing from The Star.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Record called and it sounded like they were planning to print it but haven’t yet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am suspicious that criticism of their columnists facts and truth spells no.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dave<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:cdcampbell9@gmail.com">Catherine Campbell</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Monday, June 18, 2018 1:17 AM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">FVC Waterloo Region Discussion</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Excellent letter, Dave<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Jun 17, 2018, at 10:35 PM, Sharon Sommerville <<a href="mailto:sharonsommerville@gmail.com">sharonsommerville@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks Dave, it is very good. Hope that the Star prints it, you could also send it to The Record.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Cheers,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>S.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Sun, Jun 17, 2018 at 10:23 PM, Dave Arthur <<a href="mailto:arthurd23@bell.net" target="_blank">arthurd23@bell.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>I sent out this letter to The Star earlier today for comments but maybe sent it to the wrong group address.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Let me know your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>I know it’s over the 150 word limit but couldn’t pare it down any more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Maybe they’ll let it go.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Dave A<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>More misinformation against electoral reform.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Chrystia Freeland says “Facts and truth matter.” Bob Hepburn’s column ‘Rejecting the siren call for electoral reform’ rejects both. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Hepburn points to five risks, all as distorted as the election results under our current system.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986" target="_blank">Mail</a> for Windows 10<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:sharonsommerville@gmail.com" target="_blank">Sharon Sommerville</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Sunday, June 17, 2018 1:13 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org" target="_blank">FVC Waterloo Region Discussion</a><br><b>Subject: </b>[fvc-wat-disc] Invite Bob Hepburn to talk?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Hello All,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>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?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>It would be interesting.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>Cheers,<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'>S.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:487.2pt'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:487.2pt'><br>_______________________________________________<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.thinkers.org</a><br>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org" target="_blank">http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:5.0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:5.0in'>_______________________________________________<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.thinkers.org</a><br>Unsubscribe: <a 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mailing list<br>Post a message: <a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org</a><br>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org">http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:5.0pt;margin-right:1.0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;margin-left:1.0in'>_______________________________________________<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.thinkers.org</a><br>Unsubscribe: <a href="http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org">http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc_listserv.thinkers.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>