EDITOR:
The political rhetoric about the best political system for our province is cranking up beyond nauseating. The propaganda from the “No” side and the manipulation of the referendum process should be enough to ensure all citizens vote “YES.” Our provincial government has become so patriarchal and self-serving, a citizen feels more like a subject than a citizen. To begin with, the first-past-the-post system has always been adversarial in nature, a dirty knockdown, discredit the opposition process, where the winner takes all. The last fifteen years of Liberal domination here on the Island should be ample example of the shortcomings of the FPTP system. If you need further convincing, think “DONALD TRUMP.” Another shortcoming of FPTP is the governing party dominance. Discussions center around “party interest.” Decisions are based on the needs and wants of the ruling elite, which essentially boils down to three or four people in our case, leaving the rest of the governing party officials as backbenchers or seat fillers. As for the opposition, they are the protagonist on the other side, charged by convenance with keeping the ruling party in line, but with no budget, power or authority. We have all lived through the pitfalls of that experience. And the irony! Doesn’t anyone see the irony? We have a provincial government that is supposed to be guided by the people’s will. Many, many Islanders support electoral reform. One would expect that our government would be looking at a more equitable political process as matter of principle. That is what the people want. The discussions in communities about electoral reform, land use, deep water wells, political reform and transparency suggest the general malaise toward government is not unwarranted. Voters want the ruling government party gone! The Liberal party, in this instance, is spending taxpayers’ money, and lots of it, hundreds of thousand of dollars, to convince us otherwise. Why should our provincial government be using taxpayers’ money to convince voters, who have lost confidence in them, that we do not need political change. They should be using Liberal party funds. Their approach is not about electoral reform, it is about the party’s survival.
Wayne Carver,
Longcreek
