| Re: "Democratic Breakdown," by Amy Steele, News, February 15-21.
This is the first I've heard of Alberta Liberal Opposition leader Kevin Taft's book. Not surprisingly, it hasn't exactly been on the front pages of Calgary's newspapers. As a member of the Calgary chapter of Fair Vote Canada and of Fair Vote Alberta, I am disappointed that proportional representation (PR) was not specifically mentioned, although there was the beginning of an allusion to it. Steele mentioned it briefly in the article on Public Interest Alberta last week. PR is standard voting procedure throughout most of the countries in the world. Simply because Fast Forward and the other media apparently don't have an immediate familiarity with it, doesn't mean that it should be overlooked in stories about the democratic deficit and need for reform. I further find it interesting that Taft likely borrowed the title from a 2000 U.S. book by David S. Broder. This was not mentioned.
Simply put, PR is the number-one thing that will cure Alberta's perennial, and perpetual, one-party system – by forcing the injection of opposition and true representation into its legislature and revealing the shallow basis of support for the reigning government as registered in a more accurately representative popular vote. Further to this, as the current leadership race for the premier's office reveals, Albertans seem unconsciously to want a separate vote for a U.S.-style state governor. As to whether PR will be effected any time soon, don't hold your breath. A monopoly in the legislature is not interested in competition, effective or otherwise. There is a way to solve the problem. Alberta, like other populist provincial governments early in the 20th century, passed legislation for provincial plebiscites. While these are effectively non-binding referendums, they could send a powerful message.
How about it, Ed? Your current party is being called the "United Farmers of Alberta." Time to live up to your predecessor's track record.
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