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Referendum ill conceived

So far less thansix per cent of British Columbian voters have returned their Referendum ballot.
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So far less thansix per cent of British Columbian voters have returned their Referendum ballot.

It’s quite apparent that the current government has made errors with this rushed and imperfect referendum.

Many take one look at the package and throw it on the coffee table to look at another day because their eyes glaze at the choice between First Past the Post (FPTP) and a confusing and vague Pro Rep choice. How can we choose something other than FPTP when we have no idea what we’ll get with the other choice?

Expecting the citizens to just ‘trust’ the politicians to figure it out later is disrespectful. At the very least, a Citizens Committee should have looked at the details beforehand and presented the best choice. Also, a mail-in ballot is a poor choice and it would have been much better if presented during a provincial election. Participation rates would be better.

If (as expected) the participation rate is so incredibly low, no matter what the outcome, I expect the current government to refuse to change the First Past the Post system. Otherwise this exercise will be seen as a con job foisted on British Columbians by a dishonest government.

M. David Naish