This writer is not a political activist or a foreign affairs official, but I am a keen observer.
In the last weeks, it has become abundantly clear that money from outside B.C. is pouring in to support the “yes” vote. The people contributing see it as a painless way for them to de-stabilize our historically strong provincial government in order to be able to manipulate us more effectively in the future.
There are two things that we should be able to realize: firstly these people are not our friends and secondly they do not have our best interests at heart. I do not tend to wild speculation on these topics but I am afraid the truth is the truth.
A three-party system with a majority, minority or, if temporarily necessary, a two-party coalition government, all determined by first-past-the-post results; still maintains stability for its electorate.
The alternative could easily be a clumsily-formed government with a total of 10 to 15 parties including many MLA’s being appointed rather than elected. We need go no further than New Zealand, Norway or Sweden; their election outcomes being a waste of government time in simply forming a government and a Question Period that in itself becomes a nightmare.
Now, there seems to be a few caring British Columbians who have been told that we need a “warmer, kinder, democracy.” But the words ineffective, inefficient, costly and unstable are adjectives which have been carefully avoided. Saying that combativeness and competitiveness should be removed from our democracy is simply asking us to change who we are. If you tackle the facts with your intellect, use your imagination to see it as even a little worse than I have described, then to my way of thinking, you will be close to the truth.
In essence, it is an attempt to take our strength, our ability to fight to win and to give the prize to those who can’t. I have said this earlier but it is now even more important. Democracy is, by definition, a participatory event. Every election is determined by the voters who show up.
Terence Purden