Congratulations to our new municipal politicians. Now we get to decide on something else: proportional representation.
Many of you may have noticed that the ‘No’ side is getting their knickers in a knot over this. They are voicing threats and claims, such as, “It will spread across the country.” If it fails, why would it spread?
“Once elected, the MLA represents everyone.” Then why did he and his “team” refuse to shake my hand at the Hullcar meeting over polluted ground water?
“It will cost billions.” Without a smidgen of supporting evidence.
“We won’t have local representation.” In the first B.C. election, there were only 25 MLAs, yet everyone was, apparently, represented. And so it goes. Their real reasons are much simpler: lobbyists don’t like it because they won’t be able to buy the government so easily.
The sign trashers, rock throwers and harassers believe that nobody except themselves deserve to be represented. Everyone except themselves holds illegitimate beliefs and has no right to be heard.
If you are a big C Conservative, a Libertarian, an environmentalist, a New Democrat, a real Liberal, a supporter of the BC Interior party, or of Max Bernier, you have no right to representation. Nope. Nobody but themselves.
Richard Smiley
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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