Editor: This week, New Westminster residents will begin receiving their ballots for the B.C. referendum on proportional representation. Lots of people in the community have asked me for my thoughts and I am happy to share them. I have been a strong advocate for changing our voting system for many years, long before I was elected.
I really believe that our present voting system is unfair. It means that a party that gets 40 per cent of the vote can get 100 per cent of the power. That means the party in power can ignore the views – not just of other parties – but of the majority of voters in B.C. who didn’t vote for them. It leads to more divisiveness, more partisanship, and an attitude of “It’s my way or the highway.” I can recall many times in opposition when I put forward proposals that were shut down by the former B.C. government, simply because the ideas didn’t come from their side.
ProRep encourages parties to work together for the common good. It leads to healthier debate, sharing of ideas and better decision-making. It means more cooperation and less confrontation – which people in New Westminster have told me they would really like to see!
Our present voting system, referred to as first-past-the-post, also results in many people feeling that their vote doesn’t count, that their needs fall on deaf ears. Too often people feel they have to vote against a party, rather than voting for a party or a candidate they believe in. That leads to even greater cynicism about politics and a low voter turnout – especially amongst young people.
We have an historic opportunity to make our democracy stronger by making every vote count.That’s why I’m voting to support prop rep.
Judy Darcy, MLA for New Westminster
