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<p>Anita, <br>
</p>
<p> I would like to echo Stu's message to you. It's been depressing
reading the analyses here. But it is clear that FVC did the very
best it could and was defeated by a number of factors over which
it could have no control.</p>
<p>Congratulations on all that FVC did! It was a very noble effort
and no doubt served to educate a lot of people.<br>
</p>
<p>Warm regards,</p>
<p>Mary.<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2018-12-22 4:21 p.m., STUART
CHANDLER wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:5l0m54bb8lcpkug9emd5t72e.1545513692362@gmail.com">
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<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Dear Anita. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Thank you for your heartfelt analysis. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">I share your grief over this unexpected
and depressing loss. As an Ontarian who loves BC, I was
expecting more from the BC electorate, as so many have been
fighting against rich and powerful interests to save their
beautiful coastline from greed and pollution. I thought that
surely, of all the people in Canada, those in BC would
understand the real and urgent need for the government to be
responsible and accountable to the people. And that PR was
imperative to accomplishing that goal. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Thank you for all that you and the
hard-working PR proponents did to try to influence the
outcome. Too bad the NDP did not work as hard. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Once again, the rich and powerful have
been able to win the day for the status quo by using their
wealth, influence and people's gullibility & fear of
change. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">But we must "soldier on". </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Thanks again for all you do. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Best regards. </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;">Stu Chandler </div>
<div name="BB10" id="BB10_response_div_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;"><br>
</div>
<div name="BB10" id="response_div_spacer_BBPPID" dir="auto"
style="width:100%;"> <br style="display:initial">
</div>
<div id="blackberry_signature_BBPPID" name="BB10" dir="auto">
<div id="_signaturePlaceholder_BBPPID" name="BB10" dir="auto">Sent
from my BlackBerry — the most secure mobile device — via the
Rogers Network</div>
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<div id="from"><b>From:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:anitann88@gmail.com">anitann88@gmail.com</a></div>
<div id="sent"><b>Sent:</b> December 22, 2018 12:07 AM</div>
<div id="to"><b>To:</b>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org</a></div>
<div id="reply_to"><b>Reply to:</b>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org">fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org</a></div>
<div id="subject"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [fvc-wat-disc]
[fvc-wat-announce] Results from the BC referendum on
electoral reform</div>
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<div dir="ltr">Thanks for asking, Matthew.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Yes, we'll do a review. There's nothing to hide. <br>
<br>
There are 25 active chapters who formed a wonderful
community of leaders and volunteers knocking themselves out
to win this referendum so we're all intimately familiar with
what went on day to day for over a year. We made decisions
together. <br>
<br>
We were the only organization with any ground game and we
squeezed every last volunteer and dollar off that list.<br>
<br>
My personal take:<br>
<br>
As someone who lived and breathed this for the past 18
months, in terms of things we could have foreseen and done
differently, there wasn't much. <br>
<br>
I'm not trying to escape accountability - this was a
horrible and discouraging failure and if there were mistakes
we as FVC-BC made that I could point to and say "this was a
big mistake that helped cost us the referendum", I really
would. I'd own it.<br>
<br>
But as I look at what we did as FVC-BC, all I can see is how
we might have spent a few thousand dollars a bit differently
and more efficiently out of the large sum that was spend on
the campaign, and it wouldn't have made much difference to
the outcome.<br>
<br>
Please remember that while are the group with people who
care the most about this - people who will start in the
summer of 2017, people who will volunteer 40 hours a week
for months and can count things like 40 presentations given
in one small town, 40 banner waves, thousands of doors
knocked on, every event attended, local media, 250,000
flyers (no other group even had flyers) in many places etc
etc etc - we were the SMALL group here. With mailing list
and potential to raise money about 1/20th some of the larger
groups who were advertising sponsors. They made their own
decisions if they spent peanuts.<br>
<br>
And please remember we were not the official proponent
group.<br>
<br>
The proponent group, Vote PR BC, got $500,000 from the
government and could raise an additional $200,000. <br>
<br>
We raised more money than they did it turned out - because
people believed in what we were doing and could see we were
knocking ourselves out as a citizens org trying to fill in
real gaping holes. But we didn't have the people, the budget
or the connections to nearly fill them all. We did what we
could.<br>
<br>
And we were not the NDP. <br>
<br>
Who ran a campaign that basically amounted to John Horgan
saying he liked PR and making a cute video of himself with
sunglasses. <br>
<br>
It was a campaign that effectively said "We don't really
care if we win this." <br>
<br>
Since this campaign was divided completely along partisan
lines - with the (right wing Con) BC Liberals stating at the
outset that they were fighting for their very survival and
would do whatever it took to kill PR - which amounted to
their party making it #1 priority and spending every penny
lying to people non-stop for over a year - there needed to
be a HUGE effort by the BC NDP to pull almost every person
who voted for them (the 40%) to vote for it. A ground game
organized six months ahead. TV commercials etc etc. They
chose not to do that. <br>
<br>
In some ridings that voted for the NDP about 20 something
percent voted for PR. While the Liberal MLAs held town halls
across the province against PR and got local ethnic leaders
on board to mobilize their communities, and sent emails to
their local lists, NDP MLAs sat back.<br>
<br>
This is really a horrible and devastating loss for many of
us. What was the hardest thing by far was FIVE POLLS in a
row showing it was 50/50 and then on voting day getting 38%.
Many of us were in shock. <br>
<br>
I had allowed myself to be deluded that all the things I
KNEW were necessary to win a referendum like this and
weren't in place...well, I thought there was hope we could
win it anyway. Those polls gave me hope. It sure wasn't for
lack of passion, intelligence and hard work from all our
leaders.<br>
<br>
From a FVC perspective I can account for every dollar and
every activity - we're all one team - and I honestly don't
think there was much else we could have done. We can write
pages of stuff if it makes us look more "accountable" - one
group of talented volunteer leaders to another - but I don't
think anything we could have done differently as FVC-BC
would have shifted the vote more than 1%.<br>
<br>
Anita<br>
<br>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr">On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 11:24 PM Matthew
Piggott <<a href="mailto:piggott.matthew@gmail.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">piggott.matthew@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
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0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb( 204 , 204 , 204
);padding-left:1ex">
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<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931_original_msg_header_BBPPID"
dir="auto">
<table
style="background-color:white;border-spacing:0px;display:table;outline:none"
width="100%">
<tbody>
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, 255 , 255 )">
<div
style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt
solid rgb( 181 , 196 , 223 );padding:3pt 0in
0in;font-family:'tahoma' , 'bb alpha sans' ,
'slate pro';font-size:10pt">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931from"><br>
</div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
</div>
<div dir="auto" style="outline:none">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931ssc45233">
<div style="background-color:rgb( 255 , 255 , 255 )">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931response_container_BBPPID"
style="outline:none" dir="auto">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">Hi Sharon et
al.,</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">I share that
disappointment.</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">My honest, but
also somewhat disruptive question is: what
went wrong? More importantly, is FVC and FVBC
doing a thorough campaign review? What were
the gaps? Were we outspent? Not have enough
volunteers? I think members deserve to know
this info (even at a higher level). There are
so many questions we could ask.</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">The reason I
also ask is that mature/maturing organizations
should always have the structures in place to
do at least a basic review. Certainly,
organizations I want to be part of, volunteer
for, donate money to :) I'm personally
reminded of how the GPC did a review of the
2015 federal campaign when we fell so short of
our goals. </div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">Any case I hope
the questions are asked and that FVC members
will be get to know and hear more.</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%">Matthew Piggott</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931BB10_response_div_BBPPID"
dir="auto" style="width:100%"><br>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931blackberry_signature_BBPPID"
dir="auto">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931_signaturePlaceholder_BBPPID"
dir="auto">Sent from my BlackBerry — the
most secure mobile device — via the Rogers
Network</div>
</div>
</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931_original_msg_header_BBPPID"
dir="auto">
<table
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<tbody>
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style="background-color:rgb( 255 , 255 ,
255 )">
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style="border-right:none;border-bottom:none;border-left:none;border-top:1pt
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sans' , 'slate pro';font-size:10pt">
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931from"><b>From:</b>
<a
href="mailto:sharonsommerville@gmail.com"
moz-do-not-send="true">sharonsommerville@gmail.com</a></div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931sent"><b>Sent:</b>
December 20, 2018 7:48 PM</div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931to"><b>To:</b>
<a
href="mailto:fvc-wat-announce@listserv.thinkers.org"
moz-do-not-send="true">fvc-wat-announce@listserv.thinkers.org</a></div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931reply_to"><b>Reply
to:</b> <a
href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org"
moz-do-not-send="true">fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org</a></div>
<div
id="m_-743128897050252829gmail-m_5725995527497628931subject"><b>Subject:</b>
[fvc-wat-announce] Results from the
BC referendum on electoral reform</div>
</div>
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</div>
<div dir="auto" style="outline:none">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">Hello FairVoting Friends,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The results from BC's referendum were
announced this afternoon. Sadly, the
outcome is not what we were hoping for;
below is a link to a CBC report on the
results. Changing our electoral system is
long & vital process. FVC will
continue to work toward instituting a more
fair and equitable electoral system which
ensures that every vote cast influences
the election results.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><a
href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/electoral-reform-referendum-results-1.4954538"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/electoral-reform-referendum-results-1.4954538</a><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Wishing you all the very best of the
season,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Sharon Sommerville</div>
<div>for FVC-WR</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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-- <br>
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<div dir="ltr"><i>Proportional representation delivers more of
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