Dear Editor:
In the fall, the B.C. provincial government has declared there will be a provincial referendum to determine if there is a wish to change our present first past the post voting system to proportional representation.
If you are like us, we wanted to know about proportional representation, so we started attending open non partisan meetings in Penticton put on by the South Okanagan Similkameen Fair Vote B.C., SOSFV.
We learned that proportional representation is used in most democratic developed countries and that Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and parts of Australia are the exceptions.
In countries using proportional representation: voter turn out goes up; governments reflect the votes (ex, if a party gets 39 per cent of votes is should get about 39 per cent of the seats); and these coalition governments work cooperatively to govern their countries. Every voter contributes to the composition of parliament with their vote.
The most common criticism we have heard about proportional representation systems is that they are too complicated.
We we decided to organize an informational meeting about proportional representation.
Margaret Holm of the SOSFV has created a wonderful slide show and will present it and lead a discussion to follow.
Join us for this non-partisan meeting on Saturday, April 28, at the Summerland Arts Centre, 9525 Wharton St., from 10 a.m. to noon. Coffee and muffins will be served.
Mary Madsen
Diddy Evans
Summerland