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Huron Expositor, 2007-01-24, Page 5Opinion The Huron Expositor • January 24, 2007 Page 5 Electoral reform is required to make every person's vote count, says reader To the Editor, I was quite pleased to see Kate Dubinski's article in Thursday's London Free Press on the Ontario Citizen's Assembly on Electoral Reform. This important and possibly history changing process has been a long time in getting any press. Dubinski bemoaned the lack of interest in the voting system and indicated surprise that so many people were willing to attend this meet- ing. There should be no surprise. Making each person's vote count through elec- toral reform is exactly what voters - and espe • cially our younger generations - require to get off the couch and exercise their civic duties. Like the proverbial "field of dreams", if you build a fair voting system, they will come! Since 1937 Canadians have elected phony majority after phony majority. A true majority is 50 per cent plus one. But after each election a party takes over the reins of power with about 30 per cent of the popular vote - and then pro- ceeds to tell the other 70 per cent of the people what to do. Within each electoral district, everyone's vote is equal and the winner first past the post gets the job. But everyone who did not vote for that person has no political say for the next four years. When you put all the votes together over the whole province or the whole country, however, and look at the proportion of people overall who actually voted for the party in power, you soon see that most of the voters have been largely unrepresented. And everyone's vote does not have the same weight. In the federal picture, people who voted for more national parties always get fewer seats than those who vote for regional parties, because the votes are not concentrated to win them seats. So you get situations where the irony of a sep- aratist Bloc party in a federal government, earns more seats than the NDP which actually gleaned more votes! The Tories and Liberals know their votes almost always earn them more seats than they deserve, so they are generally willing to take the gamble of an unfair system. Well, except for 1990 when the provincial NDP actually earned a phony majority! So, yes, Ms. Dubinski was right, there are many Conservatives and Liberals who have ground to lose in a fair vote system. But take a look at the Fair Vote Canada board of directors. It indicates that former cabi- net ministers, lieutenant governors and cap- tains of industry of all political stripes think it is important to put this country first before par- tisan politics, and are strongly in favour of a fairer voting system that will represent all Canadians. Canadians and Ontarians are sick and tired of the time wasted by political parties in gain- ing power, and then trying to maintain it. They are tired of one party's agenda wiping out the See OCT., Page 6 Frozen pipes close Bell Engine Works during severe cold snap in 1907 JANUARY 20, 1882 A serious accident occurred to Mr. Andrew Govenlock, merchant of Winthrop one day last week. It appears that Mr. Govenlock was assisting some men to butcher pigs when one of the brutes savagely attacked him, biting him severely on the back part of the leg, making a painful and ugly gash. During the storm on the forenoon of last Saturday 18 inches of snow fell in Winthrop between the hours of 6 and 10 o'clock. Alexander Cardno of Seaforth left for Manitoba yesterday. It is reported that he has gone up to complete the sale of his farm near Calf Mountain. The farm contains 640 acres and has been sold for $20 per acre. Alex Forsyth of the 3rd conces- sion of Tuckersmith sold a three year old filly to an American dealer within the past week for the hand- some sum of $210. JANUARY 25, 1907 Richard Robinson of McKillop, near Leadbury paid his 36th sub- scription to the Expositor on Saturday. This shows that Mr. Robinson is a fine judge of good lit- erature and we wish him a long life to continue in the well doing. The Bell Engine Works of Seaforth was closed on Monday owing to some of the water pipes having become frozen during the severe cold on Sunday. John Hannah has sold his farm on the 8th concession of Tuckersmith to his neighbour John Hay. The farm contains 100 acres, has on it fairly good buildings and the price is said to be $6,400. Wednesday was the coldest day of the season so far in Seaforth. Early in the morning the thermometer registered at eleven below zero. JANUARY 15, 1932 Mrs. J.E. Keating of Seaforth picked a number of pansies in her garden on Thursday. They were in full bloom and just as pretty as we see them in the summer. Judge J.L. Killoran was elected chairman of the Stratford Police commission at its inaugural meet- ing held this week. Judge Killoran is a former Seaforth old boy. Mayor Daly and Messrs. W.A. Crich, R.G. Parke, H. J. Modeland and C. Adams were in Toronto this week, having been summoned as witnesses in the Bennett Mine trial, being held in that city. JANUARY 1, 1957 -Thg rat campaign being waged by Huron Junior Farmers has result- ed in saving of $16 for every farm in the county, according to associa- tion officials. The campaign sched- uled to end this week, has been extended to the end of February. Rat extermination sold since the campaign began has accounted for at least 4,100 rats, according to Junior Farmer members. Huron riding progressive conser- vatives renominated Elston Cardiff as candidate. JANUARY 20, 1982 Seaforth has received $200,000 in Ontario Neighbourhood Improvement Program funds, housing minister Claude Bennett informed Mayor John Sinnamon at the end of last week. The town applied for a grant of $500,000. The Seaforth and District Community Centre committee is proposing a brand new building, with an ice surface of 80 by 185 feet, audience seating along one side and a community hall with seating for 400 to 500 all on one floor. Tuckersmith Township council passed bylaws at last night's regu- lar meeting in Vanastra that increased remuneration for council members, and salary for full time employees for 1982 by an average of approximately 11 per cent. Seaforth will soon have a portable breathalizer. Its purchase, for $800, was authorized at council last week. For the second weekend in a row the weather in Seaforth and area made wisest to stay indoors, adding to the "cabin fever" which first became noticeable during the weekend before's blizzard. This weekend's blast wasn't an official blizzard, but it was cold and the frigid temperatures combined with gusting winds and snow to reduce visibility to a minimum and make it virtually impossible to get in or out of Seaforth.