Reply To Sign Him Up !!

I believe that PR has the potential to ease the regional divides in Canadian politics. For one thing, politicians will have an incentive to try to win votes everywhere in the country and not just in a traditional regional base. Fostering factional parties that cater to and exploit regional grievances is certainly not the hallmark of a PR system. In the 1990's, the two major opposition parties in Parliament were the separatist Bloc Quebecois and the Western-based Reform Party. This was in spite of the fact that the two national opposition parties, the PCs and the NDP, got comparable numbers of votes. The adoption of PR will indeed change the way Canadians vote. Under PR, Canadians could now vote for their first choice and be assured that their vote would count. It's true that smaller parties like the Greens might win seats, or that the conservative movement might split once again into one socially conservative party like the old Reform Party and a big business party. But with respect, what's wrong with that? Why shouldn't Parliament reflect how Canadians think? Under PR, it might be difficult for political parties to form majorities without forming alliances with other parties in Parliament. Yet again, what's wrong with that? Shouldn't the views of a greater number of Canadians be taken into consideration when formulating government policy? Besides, as Mr. Ibbitson correctly points out, much of this brokering already happens within political parties, mostly hidden from public scrutiny. In Canada, five provincial governments are currently studying proportional representation. Thanks to the upcoming Law Commission report, and the work of grassroots organizations like Fairvote Canada, the pressure on Paul Martin to consider real democratic reform-the kind of reform where every Canadian's vote counts-is only going to grow. Lorne Nystrom, NDP MP Regina Qu'Appelle NDP Democracy Advocate ********************** I agree, I elect a politician to make decisions, not to create committees ad nauseum. They have a job to do, so let's remind them to do it !!