To the editor:

Within the next 10 months our province will have a third and final referendum on electoral reform. During that time I鈥檓 sure we will be bombarded with information extolling both the virtues and evils of the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) versus proportional representation (PR) systems. Because PR has never existed in our province, all information can only be conjecture and assumption.

However, years of FPTP has provided us with a few unrefuted facts. It repeatedly creates a disproportionate imbalance of power, as happened in 2001 when the Liberals garnered 97 per cent of the seats with only 57 per cent of the vote.

Our democracy is further eroded with a party鈥檚 refusal to allow our MLA鈥檚 a free and open vote reflective of the constituents, instead forcing them to 鈥渢oe the party line鈥�. We then have an autocracy which always leads to abuse of power and scandal (Wikipedia lists 21 instances dating back to W.A.C.Bennett).

Let鈥檚 vote for a return to democracy in November.

Robert Brown, Cranbrook

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