Electoral Reform letter from Karen Gventor

Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada, Ottawa

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you to correct an inaccuracy that you might be told.

I spent half an hour on hold during a telephone town hall meeting with MP Larry Miller last night. Although Larry Miller’s website states, “Residents will have the opportunity to listen to and join in a discussion with Mr. Miller on the topic of electoral reform,” many people who phoned in did not get an opportunity to join the discussion. Oddly enough, although a number of people in support of electoral reform phoned in and remained on hold, some for half an hour or more, everyone who got through to Mr. Miller was opposed. In fact, Mr. Miller pointed this fact out at the end of the phone call.

My concern is that Mr. Miller might now report publicly that his constituents are opposed to electoral reform. This is not the case, and if his evidence is a telephone town hall meeting where people who supported electoral reform were not able to join the conversation, then his evidence collection system was faulty.

I wanted to make several points during the telephone town hall. Some people said that the system is not broken; if that were true, we would not have declining voter turnout. We need to make a change to encourage people to be more involved in the democratic system. It is not right that 35% of the people can vote for a party which gains 100% of the power. The most representative form of democracy is Proportional Representation, and if it is a Mixed Member format, it ensures regions are represented as well as viewpoints.

I trust that you will remember this letter if Mr. Miller is reporting on his constituents opinions, and that you will remember many people in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound do support electoral reform, including Mixed Member Proportional Representation.

Sincerely,
Karen Gventer
Hepworth
519-379-3924

cc: Larry Miller, MP
Honourable Rona Ambrose
Honourable Thomas J. Mulcair
Rhéal Fortin, MP
Elizabeth May, MP
Members of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform
Owen Sound Sun Times
The Dock
Bayshore Broadcasting

Miller defends teleforum on electoral reform suntimes
Thursday, September 29, 2016