The Citizen, 2006-12-07, Page 6No miniature task
Sharon Davis opened her collection of miniatures, memorabilia and
collectibles to the public last Friday in downtown Blyth. Housing an extensive
collection that she has been working on since the age of three, Davis fixed
up the whole place -upstairs and down, inside and out to get ready for
business. (Shawn Laughlin photo)
We Couldn't Celebrate Our
135th Birthday Without You.
Remember when the whole community pitched in to help
a neighbour in need? That spirit lives on at South Easthope Mutual.
We're here when you need us and have been for135 years.
Call Us Today.
South Easthope Mutual Insurance
1-800-263-9987 www.seins.on.ca
Farm & Urban Property • Auto Insurance
Working Together For Insurance That Works.
1
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2006.
Letter to the editor
Fair Vote Canada offers opportunity for change
THE EDITOR,
Are you feeling
disillusioned with the voting
process? Do you feel your
vote is wasted in provincial
elections? Are you tired of
seeing phony majority
governments ruling the
country and the province with
less than half of the popular
vote? Do you suffer from
voter apathy? Do you even
take the time to vote any
more?
Well, your opportunity to
change the voting system for
the province of Ontario is
coming. During the next
provincial election, every
Ontario voter will participate
in a referendum to alter the
voting process and to make it
more fair and representative of
the electorate.
On Monday, Nov. 20,
Derrick Kraan of Fair Vote
Canada spoke to the NDP
Riding Association's annual
general meeting to outline the
provincial process to develop
this fair voting system for
Ontario.
First, Kraan explained how,
in the present system, despite
popular opinion, every vote is
not equal and the majority
does not usually rule. True,
within each riding, every vote
is considered equal, and the
majority does earn a seat.
However, in the overall
provincial picture, with
ridings consisting of varying
populations, the actual
popular vote may indicate that
one party is the winner, while
the number of candidates
elected to the government
may indicate a larger majority.
For example, if the ruling
party earns only 30 per cent of
the votes and wins over 50 per
cent of the seats that means
that 60 per cent of the voters
are actually disenfranchised.
Their vote is wasted and they
are not represented by the
government.
-Kraan showed the audience
that, since the last world war,
the province of Ontario has
produced phony majority
governments in all but one
election.
Eighty major democracies
in the world use a different
form of electoral system. One
method is a proportional
representation system which
provides seats according to
the ratio of votes earned by
each party. Others use a mixed
system which allows for the
present system and then tops
up to provide seats
proportionally in the
government.
Ironically, only three major
governments in the world do
not have fair voting systems
but rely on a system that was
developed in the 12th century.
Those countries are Australia,
Canada and the UK. Within
the UK, however, the Scottish
and Welsh national
assemblies, do use fair voting
systems.
Everyone has seen the rise
of George Bush's
administration in the United
States based on a phony
majority. There have been
governments such as Mike
Harris' Tories and Bob Rae's
NDP governments which
were based on phony
majorities.
And we've seen the present
Australian government which
refuses to deal with the
number one international
issue of global warming
despite popular support for
Kyoto! When such
governments run a'province or
a country, they have powers
disproportionate to their
support , to carry out their
own agenda.
With fair voting and seats
proportionate to the popular
vote, governments have to
work together to bring about
positive change. Less time is
taken in non-productive
efforts in government and in
undoing the previous
government's efforts. The
most progressive and
economically advanced
countries in the world use fair
voting systems. They are
progressive because they are
working for the people.
And when the people see
that their votes count, voter
turn out increases and true
democracy is revealed.
Kraan indicated that, at this
time, a randomly chosen
Citizen's Assembly is touring
the province and hearing oral
submissions on fair voting
'principles from groups and
individuals in a number of
cities. E-mail submissions are
also being accepted. This
Citizens Assembly, based on
these submissions, and on
study of other systems around
the world, will then be making
recommendations for a new
voting system for our
province. (More information
on the dates and times of
forums is available on the Fair
Vote website).
In October 2007, Ontarians
will vote in a referendum on
these recommendations at the
same time as they elect their
'next provincial government. If
the referendum to change our
voting system wins by a 60
per cent threshold, then the
new voting system will be in
place for the following
Ontario election.
In British Columbia and
P.E.I. such referenda have
already bedn held and have
failed to meet their thresholds.
With such a high threshold to
pass, it is important that all
Ontario voters find out about
fair voting and the proposed
recommendations, and make
sure they vote in this
important referendum.
Ontario, as the country's
largest province, should be a
leader in political reform. We
should show ourselves to be a
lighthouse province to show
the rest of the country what
fair voting practices are.
If you are interested in
attending a Citizen's
Assembly forum, im making a
submission , or in more
information on Fair Vote
Canada, an online search will
get you to their website easily.
Please note that Fair Vote
Canada and its provincial
chapters are non-partisan
groups with members from all
political stripes advocating for
a change to the voting system
in Canada.
Wilhelmina Laurie.
Miniature museum opens in Blyth's downtown
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
A little more history has
moved into Blyth in the form
of a collectible museum.
Sharon's Miniatures has
moved into the ground floor
of a unit directly across the
street from Memorial Hall. It
houses an extensive collection
of miniatures and collectibles,
a collection that the owner,
Sharon Davis, has been
collecting since the age of
three.
Many of the items are cars,
model cars, toy cars, car
collectibles, but really, there
are so many things to see that
it wouldn't be hard to get lost.
Items are sectioned off into
collections. There are items
from the Franklin Mint,
which Davis calls "a costly
corner" in addition to Hot
Wheels cars, Matchbox cars
and cars with company
themes, like Schneiders,
Canadian Tire, Coca Cola,
Home Hardware and the list
goes on.
Davis opened for business
last Friday and had popcorn
and pop over the weekend for
patrons. Davis is looking
says she is not interested in
selling.
She does, however, have
several books/catalogues on
the premises for people to flip
through and orderfrom if they
please.
After fixing up the upstairs
of her property, Davis fixed
up the ground floor and
Continued from page 4
manufacturing, mass media,
medical drugs, natural
resources, transportation."
We , have here a call
to implement key steps
of The Communist
Manifesto written by
Karl Marx (Steps 5, 6,
and 7 from the Manifes-
decided that this was what she
wanted to do.
After spending most of her
time in Waterloo, Davis is in
her second year here and is
hoping that many of the
people in the community and
theatregoers during the
festival will be interested in
what she has to offer.
to):
5.) Centralization of credit
in the banks of the state, by
means of a national bank
with state capital and an
exclusive monopoly.
6.) Centralization of the
means of communication
and transport in the hands of
the state.
She was careful not to open
an establishment that might
take from anyone else's
business, but thinks she has
her corner covered pretty
well.
She says,"I didn't figure
that anybody else in town had
anything like this, so here I
am."
7.7 Extension of factories
and instruments of
production owned by the -
state...
The NDP is not only
morally leprous; its
economics would ruin the
country.
Dave Joslin
Brussels, ON
forWard to this upcoming
weekend, saying that she will
be open on Saturday, hoping
that many of the Rita MacNeil
concertgoers might stop in.
Davis says that there were
-many ideas going into this
venture, like serving coffee or
having a hobby shop, but
these are things she didn't
think there would be a
demand for, and she didn't
want to encroach on existing
businesses in the area.
She says she has had
several offers already for
people to buy items from
behind the glass, but Davis
Writer has plenty to say
about New Democrats