Letter to the Editor

Apparently, in the fall, there will be a referendum on electoral reform. Historically, we make changes either out of necessity, such as with an emergent situation, or when we have examined a particular set of behaviours or processes and determined there might be another choice worth considering.

With industry, the change is often related to greater efficiencies and therefore greater profit. That change is driven by industry in response to market pressures. When we consider social change, such as with electoral reform – the call for this type of change rarely comes from those currently in power, nor from the vested interests wishing to maintain the current power dynamic. Social change comes from the bottom up.

With our votes, we essentially hire a person or group to run the business of state – they are employees of the people. When we have high powered and well funded lobbyists opposed to this social change, we have a situation where our employees and their friends want to set the rules of their employment.

With Canada being one of the three western industrialized countries still not using some form of proportional representation, it will be interesting to witness how the NO side will phrase their arguments – that’s why they have hired professional lobbyists to tell us change is not good.

Ron Robinson,

Nelson

Article Share