For the past year, I have followed the debate on proportional representation, listened to arguments on both sides and fact-checked relevant information.
I understand the fear some people have of change but I believe this referendum is a wonderful opportunity to achieve a positive improvement in the way we are governed.
Here are five reasons why I voted YES for Proportional Representation.
1. I believe in the democratic principle of one person, one vote and all votes counting equally. In the last BC election, one party required six times more votes per MLA than the winning party.
2. I want to vote for someone who shares my values without having to vote strategically for a candidate I dislike in order to keep out a candidate with even more extreme ideology.
3. I believe that if a party gets 40 per cent of the popular vote they should get 40 per cent of the seats in the province without receiving 100 per cent of the power.
4. I want a system where there are no longer “safe” ridings and elections are not decided by just a few votes in ‘swing’ ridings. In 2017 a seat in one riding was won by a margin of 143 votes, in another by a mere 87 votes.
5. I believe that we can have a better, more productive government when parties are forced to co-operate. Some of our best policies such as Medicare, Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan were enacted under a minority government.
Heather Clay