The mail-in referendum that’s failing to captivate general interest this month is really just about making excuses.
Most of the folks super-keen to stick with the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system inhabit the right-of-centre political wing. They are a large minority – but still only a minority – that holds onto power by means of a relatively strong coalition of right-wing political groups under the BC Liberal umbrella previously held by the Social Credit Party.
Their excuse for wanting you to vote to keep FPTP is that Proportional Representation (PR) is too confusing for your under-developed little minds to comprehend.
Interestingly, it’s also the Right’s go-to excuse for not offering comprehensive political education in our schools, so our kids graduate without knowing how our democracy works. It’s too confusing. It’s unnecessary. And teachers can’t be trusted not to indoctrinate children in the evils of the Left.
On the other side, the pro-PR crew knows that it’s the best chance for the left-leaning parties to coalesce into power.
Their excuse to get you to vote for PR is the illusion created by FPTP results in which overall provincial vote-counts seem to leave the majority of citizens unrepresented. They conveniently ignore the reality that each riding in our current system is supposed to be represented by the individual chosen by the voters in that riding – but the party system takes over on election day, and the MLAs go off to Victoria to represent their party instead.
They are so keen to make the switch that they openly admit that the three PR choices on the ballot are complex and confusing, and more importantly, they’re not finished – but you must trust that the gaping holes will be filled by blind faith after the counting is done.
They also offer FPTP as an excuse for those too lazy to have voted in the past few elections. Something different will make you more eager to participate.
But this referendum is different – and look how eager people have been to participate.
By all means, whichever way you’re leaning, vote. Get you ballot into the mailbox, or straight into the ballot box in the Langley referendum office at Unit 101-5844, Glover Rd.
It has to be there by the end of the month, or you’re just another one of the lazy sad sacks in need of an excuse.