All the countries that use PR a good argument to vote ‘yes’
I believe there are many good reasons to feel confident about switching to proportional representation; namely, Germany, France, New Zealand, Australia, and all of the Scandinavian countries.
Each of these nations — arguably the world’s greatest, most stable democracies — employs some form of PR.
Proportional representation ensures that political parties can only claim a majority of seats — and majority power — if they have earned the support of a majority of the electorate.
Nations that utilize PR are thus untroubled by false majority governments, and, since every vote counts, PR also means an end to “wasted” votes and the distortion of strategic voting.
Everyone who votes is rewarded with representation and as a consequence, voter turnout increases.
PR rewards parties not for extreme positions and confrontation, but rather for moderation and cooperation.
The result is greater continuity, eliminating the need for successive governments to spend their first months in office undoing the worst excesses of their predecessors.
Good governance will always depend upon good people, but B.C. voters today have an historic opportunity to experience an electoral system that has proven to be more equitable, more inclusive and more stable than our own.
After all, we can always go back.
Mike Ward
Duncan