Dear Editor,
Last week there was a meeting in Roberts Creek Community Hall, organized by the Alliance for Democracy. About the next federal election. There was a lot of Harper bashing. Everybody could vent his/her distaste for the Conservative Party. There were a few suggestions about strategic voting, without explanation how that would work. It made me think.
Strategy is something that is decided by the leadership. If it is decided by the individual soldier (us) than chaos will result. A flock of chicken trying to scare a fox. The enemy has a strategy. It is called “divide and conquer.” or ”Vote Splitting”, whatever name you prefer.
Kathryn Thomson said on May 14 that vote splitting is a myth. I could show her the 55 ridings where in 2011 the Conservatives won by no other means than a very real vote splitting, our riding one of them.
The enemy has it easy. The dividing is done for him. The more parties to fight him, the better. They keep competing with each other and he will walk away with the trophy. That is the ugly truth about the “First Past the Post” electoral system.
Our strategy has to be to unite behind that party that has the best chance to beat the Conservatives. I cannot see that to be the Green Party, unless Kathryn Thomson has some solid evidence, not hope and belief, that the Green Party can muster 20 to 30% of popular vote all by itself. This not Saanich-Gulf Islands. This is West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. On top there is the “Orange Wave” That leaves the Liberal Party and the NDP. It is not sure yet which one, but do not ask their candidates, they are in campaign mode for themselves. It will take time and some polling to make the final decision.
If we in our riding can come to an agreement about this and understand the nasty workings of our system, then we can make it work for our purpose. Get the Conservatives out of their majority position and get a motion in parliament to change our outdated electoral system.
The inconvenient truth is that a vote for the Green Party is a vote that cannot be given to the party that can defeat the Conservatives and therefore is a vote for Stephen Harper.
Goze Vlasblom
Sechelt
