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Letter: Current electoral system depriving Canadians of democracy

“My vote has not counted since the 1960s!”
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I would beg to differ with the statement that A: We have a democracy, and B: that petitions are not democratic.

The Trudeau government runs on unfulfilled promises. Just recall all the great things that were promised and, upon election, forgotten! This is the nature of our first-past-the-post electoral system. Essentially, a party that usually has less than even 50 per cent of the popular vote can gain “majority,” that is to say the majority of seats in the House, and then govern as a dictatorship for four or five years. My vote has not counted since the 1960s! Am I being represented?

Countries like Switzerland have recall and referendum legislation. I think they are probably the most democratic, and stable European country. Why else do so many super wealthy bank there, right?

Recall and referenda, between the election periods mandated, need to be made more easy to succeed in Canada. And we desperately need to get away from the first past the post to a truly representative (i.e.: democratic) voting system where every vote counts!

I did not vote for Mr. Trudeau’s party. I don’t think he has the emotional maturity and wisdom for the job! And there is certainly very limited resemblance between their government policies and their electioneering promises. That alone should somehow disqualify them from governing in a true democracy.

Eva Lyman

Read more: COLUMN: Voting by itself is not enough

Read more: Column: B.C. voters go medieval at the ballot box

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