Dear Editor
Re: Time to fix our broken system, In my opinion, Sept. 25.
Julie MacLellan believes that adopting a different voting system than our existing first past the post system, which she calls tired and old, would be a boon to the country and give all Canadians more voice in the direction of our country.
There is, it seems to me, an increasing call for change, but I would disagree. Ms. MacLellan says that “the vast majority of Western democracies use some form of proportional representation.”
I don’t know who the vast majority of Western democracies are, but I assume they are somewhere in Europe. If we want leadership like that of Europe, then I pity future Canadians.
Canada is a much better nation right now than most Western democracies, especially those in Europe.
I think that is the best argument against a change to a more European style of democracy with single transferrable votes or some such thing and governance by coalitions of special interest parties that make deals to grant themselves favours.
We need individuals that want the best for the country voting in our federal elections, not special interests voting for handouts and privileges from the government for themselves.
There are a few problems with a universal democracy, but a first-past-the-post voting system is not one of them.
Frank Zeleniuk, Burnaby
