Re: 鈥淗organ, Weaver whip up rally for proportional representation,鈥� column, Oct. 24.
I am perplexed that my MLA, Andrew Weaver, points to the current minority government 鈥渁s an example of what proportional representation can bring about.鈥� Come again?
The current government was brought about under first-past-the-post, a system that has produced many shining examples of effective minority government across sa国际传媒. So why would I want to adopt a new system?
A new system will not eliminate polarization and partisanship, as those are characteristics of politicians and parties and not of the system used to elect them. In more than 40 years of voting, my ballots have all gone to unsuccessful candidates and I鈥檝e never experienced a federal or provincial government that I鈥檝e voted for. Yet I鈥檝e been governed reasonably well and that鈥檚 because success in the first-past-the-post system means that parties are forced to put forward platforms built by coalitions with broad appeal to many voters.
I don鈥檛 see how a new system 鈥� which will break up two or three platforms into smaller stages with narrower views 鈥� will serve me well. It鈥檚 ironic that I鈥檓 being asked to dump a system that has produced a government that has 鈥� so far 鈥� met my interests as a citizen.
Peter J. Smith
Victoria
