Dear editor,
As I slice into my morning avocado toast, and sip on my pumpkin spice latte, I reflect on the televised proportional representation debate of the previous week.
“If you were woke, you’d know that pro-rep is lit,” stated Horgan, our premier come millennial panderer-in-chief.
Is this all the credit Horgan gives to my entire generation? That a few trendy catch phrases are enough to justify the complete restructure of an electoral system that has made us one of the most stable democracies in the world?
I believe he has forgotten that we are also the most educated generation. Ever. So despite our reputation, try talking to us like adults.
This isn’t the first time B.C. has been asked to choose, and the script has remained largely the same:
“Look at all the other places it works so well, we need to be more like (insert country name here).”
“Better representation from more diverse parties that represent you!”
“Just try it, you’ll like it. You’re Special. We promise. Trust us.”
I could point out that this system results in extreme left and extreme right parties being given a legitimized platform to spew divisive ideology, or the undetermined local under-representation that may occur favoring the urban population centres, but these have been talked into the ground.
The very referendum we are being asked to vote on is representative of what happens when 10 per cent of elected officials get to dictate terms to the majority, something that would become the norm under any variation of prop-rep.
We have had a stable government in this province since 1858 under first past the post. We have created a diverse culture and economy that is the envy of most other provinces and nations; why would we give this up in a hastily constructed and executed referendum pushed by a party representing a small cross-section of our population?
Get “woke”, do your research, and vote.
Brennan Day,
Courtenay