Change the system

Since joining confederation, British Columbians have used First-Past-The-Post as the system for electing governments to be our caretakers of the public purse and public assets.

In doing so, we are freed up to pursue our individual aspirations for an improved life. One hundred and forty-seven years later, the flaws of FPTP have become glaringly obvious.

First and foremost, our MLAs always vote the party line, even when it conflicts with the constituency that elected them. The golden paycheck, the manna-like perks, and platinum pension in six years are just too hard to resist.

Further, FPTP has lead to a minority of the citizenry being represented during any four-year term. This has produced a climate of narrow vision and political personal agendas. In virtually every major issue of public concern, the government du jour's response has been ineffectual, inadequate, failed miserably, or lacked any response at all.

Our medical system is so underfunded, resulting in an acute shortage of doctors and intolerable wait times. Our perverted and unaccountable justice/correctional system continually releases violent repeat offenders into our communities to harm us again and again.

For nine unchecked years, gang violence over drugs has increased, aided and abetted by money laundering through casinos and real estate. This has been the driving force behind the growing numbers of overdose deaths, increasing housing unaffordability and homelessness.

Food banks are utilized at record levels – 100,000 people per day, one third of them children and youths. ICBC gave us Canada's lowest premiums in 1973, but the highest by 2018, after decades of mismanagement and plundering. This is the legacy of FPTP.

We Canadians are a tough and determined lot. We can achieve anything we want once our minds are made up. We can cure these transgressions by first ridding ourselves of the very system that facilitates them.

Robert Brown, Cranbrook