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Open letter to Larry Bagnell on electoral reform

I am outraged that your Liberal government has chosen the cynical route and abandoned its throne speech promise that 2015 would be the last election using First Past the Post.d

I am outraged that your Liberal government has chosen the cynical route and abandoned its throne speech promise that 2015 would be the last election using First Past the Post. The Liberal promise of real change rings hollow now that it has started to emulate the Harper government in its desire for the unfettered power of a false majority.

My heart breaks for Elizabeth May because, as she described, she asked many parliamentarians about whether they were sincere about seeing electoral fairness realized. She believed them and now their party has made them liars.

Nathan Cullen describes well what happened in both the federal 2015 and the territorial 2016 elections. The Liberals went door to door asking people to vote strategically to get rid of Harper, and then Pasloski. Both Liberal campaigns succeeded, but at what cost to our democracy? When the election is won by making empty promises and playing a numbers game as opposed to actually debating issues and ideas, we all lose.

Electoral reform was actually an easy test for this Liberal government to show its sincerity and respect for Canadians. How will the Liberals address more divisive policy challenges such as climate change when you so casually kill the hope for a fair democratic electoral system?

It is so disappointing that in these troubling times that our federal government has chosen a divisive and cynical approach to this very necessary change.

We all win when all Canadians are represented in Parliament with a fair vote. Better policies are developed, more amazing voices from our rich cultural mosaic are heard and we all get invested in a positive future when we take part and feel included.

I urge you to discuss this important issue with other parliamentarians and force the prime minister to follow through with his promise that 2015 was the last unfair federal election.

Sally Wright,

Kluane Lake