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Submission DOUGLAS-0735 (Online)

Submission By Tanis Douglas
AddressVancouver, BC, Canada
Organization
Date20040623
CategoryElectoral system change
Abstract
I am ecstatic at the possibility of a change towards some form of mixed proportional representation [MMP]. I am so tired of trying to vote strategically, and knowing that my vote will likely be meaningless in any case. [2 pages]

Submission Content

When I first learned about the work you would be doing, I thought it was the most hopeful thing I'd heard in years. Later, the publicized picture of all of you listening intently in your initial sessions was moving for me to see. I am sorry that I couldn't make an in-person presentation, but thank you for providing me with the opportunity to share my views.

I was a public servant for 7 years, serving in the Ministry of Environment, which became the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. I left during the major purge that happened soon after the Liberals formed their government. During my time in government, I came to learn about the extreme waste of effort and money that occurs when the Province swings from one party to the next. Perfectly good and necessary programs are abandoned because the new government was not the one to think of them, or because of the need to be perceived as 'starting fresh'. It is devastating to morale to work on an important project for years, and then suddenly have it become meaningless, only to be revived years later, when most of the work needs to be redone. I am very glad to have been laid off, because morale in the Ministries is still very low. Clearly, this waste of money and effort serves British Columbians as poorly as it does public servants. We are talking about millions of dollars wasted! I believe that some form of proportional representation will force parties to work together more, and bring more reason into the process of governing. The alternative is what we have now, where each party rushes to change things for the brief time they have in power, until British Columbians become disillusioned with them, too.

As a voter, I am ecstatic at the possibility of a change towards proportional representation. I am so tired of trying to vote strategically, and knowing that my vote will likely be meaningless in any case. I want to vote for what I want, not against what I don't want! I believe that a party without a majority of votes should not have unimpeded power to govern all British Columbia. No wonder we vacillate from one party to the next the majority is always dissatisfied!

I realize that local representation can be as important as which party is in Victoria. That is why I hope that the Assembly will consider recommending some form of mixed proportional representation [MMP].

Thank you so much for doing this important work! You are setting a model for the world to follow.

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