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No side was under crucial disadvantage

Re: 鈥淗organ, Wilkinson clash on voting,鈥 column, Nov. 9.

Re: 鈥淗organ, Wilkinson clash on voting,鈥 column, Nov. 9.

What struck me forcibly during Thursday鈥檚 debate on the electoral-reform referendum was that the government鈥檚 organization, or rather manipulation, of the referendum procedure had put the opposition under a crucial disadvantage.

It was clear that Premier John Horgan had the benefit of positively proposing change, while Opposition Leader Andrew Wilkinson was forced into the perceived position of negativity. A fair and simple design of the ballot question 鈥 do you support either first-past-the-post or PR 鈥 would have produced a level playing field in which both protagonists could have based their arguments firmly and positively on the merits of the system of their choice. As it stands, the terms 鈥減ig in a poke鈥 and 鈥渄og鈥檚 breakfast鈥 are justified in describing this ballot paper.

In short, all this supported my conviction that the government since Day 1 has unfairly controlled and slanted this issue in its efforts to sustain its power, based on its deal with the Green Party. This is typical of the cynical backroom dealings to sustain power, a feature of PR systems that regularly produce fringe parties and minority governments.

John Lover

Oak Bay