Election results show聽system鈥檚 flaws
The results of our federal election once again revealed the ridiculous flaws in our electoral system.
The Greens and the Bloc received 1.16 million and 1.38 million votes respectively, yet the Bloc was awarded 32 parliamentary seats, and the Greens three. And the Maritime provinces, with a combined population of 2.4 million compared with Alberta鈥檚 4.4 million, receive 32 seats compared with Alberta鈥檚 34.
The current system is completely unacceptable. In fact, if you set out to purposefully design a system intended to alienate and marginalize, you couldn鈥檛 do much better than this one. And the knowledge that there is zero political will in central Canada to change things only makes a bad situation worse.
One suspects that Justin Trudeau鈥檚 prior promises to enact electoral reform were dropped like a hot potato when his party reminded him how well the current system serves their needs. That real leaders are hard to come by is amply evidenced by the fact that the Liberal Party has yet to produce one.
Greg Longphee
Victoria
Leaders disappoint in聽2019 campaign
The promised sunny days from 2015 are now long gone and we likely face foggy days in the near future. In the meantime, I reflect on the many disappointments of the 2019 campaign, including the negativity and personal attacks by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, right from the first word in the English debate and throughout the campaign, at the expense of detailing the Conservatives鈥� plans for issues we needed to hear.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment was witnessing the duplicity of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who, after a promising start, resorted to putting out false claims about Elizabeth May and the Green party.
My disappointment with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau began when he won the 2015 campaign, then immediately broke his promise on proportional representation.
Finally, the CBC鈥檚 use of the same old political pundits on its many panels spinning their parties鈥� views will continue to be a disappointment.
Harry Jordan
Sidney
Be a citizen between elections, too
Re: 鈥淲hat鈥檚 on the mind of our political barometer,鈥� opinion, Oct. 20.
We are told, all the time and in many ways, that politics is dirty, that politicians are not responsible to the people, and that elections every four years are a public nuisance, not a public good.
I was out door knocking. A lot of people don鈥檛 even know the difference between provincial and federal government. How can candidates begin to promote themselves to an audience that is variously ignorant, negative or apathetic?
Instead of promoting good government, they go to what attracts fans and followers to entertainment and sports: personalities and conflict.
Then, in the last week of the election campaign, parties are told to get serious and civil. The public is tired of your squabbling.
The voter has one vote. The candidate needs thousands. A clean and sober campaign is a hard course to chart when 91原创s are so careless about politics and government. The media shape the news and promises to tell voters everything they need to know. In sound bites. If it fits the column space.
Voters need to be citizens between elections. Expect and attend town-hall meetings with your MP. Expect in-depth reporting from the media. We don鈥檛 care if Randall Garrison wears a wig or Elizabeth May dyes her hair. We need to know, from week to week, what our MPs do for south 91原创 Island and for Canada while they are in Ottawa. And for the planet.
Heather Phillips
Sooke
Voting age should聽stay聽at 18
When you get to pay taxes, you should be allowed to vote and for most of us that means at the age of 18.
Maybe a few have part-time jobs before then, but most likely they don鈥檛 earn enough to pay income tax, so I think that the current age of 18 is correct.
Paul Ellegood
Courtenay
Losers everywhere in聽the federal election
In all of my 28 years as an activist and a participant in federal election campaigns, I have never seen one election result in a complete slate of leadership losers.
Justin Trudeau loses by losing over a million votes, losing most of Canada west of the Ontario-Manitoba border and losing the popular vote across the country.
Andrew Scheer loses by losing many winnable ridings in southwestern Ontario and not captivating the hearts and minds of the 91原创 people.
Jagmeet Singh thinks himself a winner after losing a number of seats in Quebec and across the country. 91原创s are too sensible to buy into the everything free rhetoric.
Maxime Bernier loses in his gamble to sing his own song. He should have waited his turn for a shot at leading the Conservatives but now he has lost his own seat and his PPC is in the dustpan of history.
But by far, the biggest loser is Elizabeth May who set out to save the world from itself. She had her eyes glued on 12 winnable ridings and managed to only retain her own seat and the Nanaimo seat and add one single seat in Fredericton.
Oh yes, there is one winner. The BQ in Quebec. They say that they are not going to promote Quebec sovereignty. Politicians say many things during election cycles.
Paul Arnold
Saanich
Save money, appoint Madoff to council
Why not save taxpayers the estimated $200,000 for the byelection to replace Laurel Collins on Victoria city council, by appointing Pam Madoff until the next civic election?
Her previous council experience would be an asset and the more than 9,000 votes she received in the last municipal election shows she would be supported by the people in Victoria.
Rey Carr
Victoria
Replace Collins with next candidate down
Re: 鈥淰ictoria鈥檚 new MP will leave council, triggering byelection,鈥� Oct.聽23.
Spend $200,000 just to have an election for one person鈥檚 vacancy? That is not a responsible way of spending so much tax money.
Surely there is some other solution open to council that would free the money to benefit people who need it. How about letting the person who received the most votes after Laurel Collins in the 2018 election fill the vacancy?
If that person is not willing, then the next. Democracy will be served and a whole lot of money saved for better purposes.
If there are byelection laws that challenge this, they should be changed to avoid this kind of expense in the future when a councillor resigns in such circumstances.
Anne Spencer
Victoria
Spending others鈥� money is easy
Re: 鈥淰ictoria's new MP will leave council, triggering byelection,鈥� Oct. 23; 鈥淗ow Victoria police tracked down fugitive to France,鈥� Oct. 23.
I wonder if Laurel Collins would mind donating the $200,000 it is going to cost the poor old taxpayer for a civic byelection. I very much doubt it.
On another subject, but financially related, apparently three Victoria police detectives were sent to France to bring back one fugitive.
It is always so easy to spend money when it is not coming out of your own pocket.
Gordon Hansen
Victoria
School strike not just about wage parity
Re: 鈥淧repare for manic Monday in Saanich school district,鈥� Oct. 27.
Your readers should know that the salary rise demanded by the striking CUPE support staff is not only to compensate for the rise in the cost of living 鈥� or even about parity with the wages of support staff in neighbouring Victoria district (who earn up to $3 an hour more).
It is also about getting back the full amount of excessive medical services plan deductions from our salaries, without it being considered part of the salary increase 鈥� as the board is proposing. That money is ours and the board must think we are feeble-minded.
Rene Ozi
Saanich
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