Within the last 24 hours I have received messages from different people accusing Gordon Campbell of stifling free speech.
According to the blogs, the BC Government has approved the Electoral Reform Referendum 2009 Act Regulation. The Act prohibits candidates in the may 2009 provincial election from publicizing a position for or against BC-STV (the BC Single Transferable Vote system recommended by the Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform).
According to the regulation, candidates in the upcoming May 2009 provincial election are not permitted to include ANY MENTION of BC-STV in election materials, on websites or in advertising.
Political parties will not be able to publish any position on electoral reform in their platform. This regulation even prohibits any direct or indirect connection being made between the names of a political party or a candidate and BC-STV or even electoral reform.
The penalties are stiff and include a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to one year in jail.
This appears to be a deliberate attempt to stifle political debate and education about the BC-STV.
The same muzzle was put in place in Ontario to disastrous results!
I am not sure whether or not I support the BC-STV, personally I think there are better ways to engage people in the political process, but I certainly do not support this kind of action to prohibit discussion and debate over the issue.
One has to ask, what are Gordon Campbell and friends afraid of? The emails have addresses for websites asking the BC government to rescind the Act, but I think a better idea would be to first contact your MLA to confirm if this is true, and if it is, why?
Another suggestion, is to write to Wally Oppal, the Attorney General and express your feelings. You can always go to the BC Government’s website and get the emails of Gordon Campbell and your favourite MLA and phone numbers as well.
Actions like this make you want to support the BC-STV, if for no other reason than contrariness.
Can anyone tell me why the Campbell government would take such action? You would think that this upcoming election would be a great opportunity to explain why Gordon Campbell and company do not support the BC-STV.
Does this sound democratic or something from a foreign country dominated by dictators? Who said Canadian politics was boring?
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