To the editor;
I read with interest the article about the townhall meeting hosted by MP John Aldag on the subject of electoral reform (“Voting forum draws crowd,” Aug. 10).
I attended that meeting. You quoted Mr. Aldag as saying that “his impression is that most Canadians want the government to act rather than hold a referendum.” Really! That’s not what I heard them say. As the last speaker of the evening, I said that by my tally, 20 people spoke and of those, 11 were opposed to any changes to our voting system without a referendum, while seven thought no referendum was necessary, with two being unclear. No one challenged my tally. We videotaped the meeting. Perhaps Mr. Aldag would like to watch it again.
Why is Mr. Aldag saying that his constituents are saying one thing when they are actually saying the opposite?
Well, because he and the Liberal government are trying to put one over on Canadians.
The Liberals say they are consulting but really they are just going through the motions. Why else would Mr. Aldag have held his townhall meeting on August 2, the day after B.C. Day? That’s not when you hold a meeting if you want to hear from your constituents. It’s when you hold a meeting if you don’t want to hear from them but you want to be able to say you tried.
A change as fundamental as how we choose our MPs is not something any government should force through without the consent of the people. Remember, 60 per cent of Canadians voted against the Liberals.
Before the Liberals rig the game in their favor, Canadians should be able to have their say on the subject. Hold a referendum! Then you can say you listened to the people.
Dean Drysdale
Editor’s note: Dean Drysdale ran as a Conservative candidate for the seat in Cloverdale-Langley City, which is held by Liberal MP John Aldag.
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