To Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and MP Karina Gould Minister for Democratic Institutions

I want to add my voice to what I hope is a clamor of disapproval for your decision to abandon electoral reform.  I didn’t vote Liberal last election because the NDP candidate was a better guy in my area but I was happy and optimistic about the outcome especially about the commitment to electoral reform.

I’m in my 70s and have never felt that my vote has mattered – always a left-leaning posey in a conservative garden.  I also think that the hyper-partisan way of governing that FPTP engenders is inefficient and unpleasant and yearn for a more sensible and civil approach to civic leadership.  I don’t think that building consensus on an issue of this magnitude is easy; I generally think that changing how people think and behave is best achieved through action rather than talk – so I was looking for leadership through incremental change encouraged by the (eventual) composition of the multi-partisan committee very disappointed with what looked to me to be either undermining or abandoning their work.

I’m also -hmm devastated may be too strong a word but it’s close – about the tsunami of cynicism that is being unleashed by your abandonment of this central campaign promise.   Interested to hear the youth perspective on Power and Politics last night attributing the engagement of youth in politics to this issue want to join my old voice to their young one.  I could live with understand even applaud changing the time frame for reform but abandonment is harsh.

Fay Martin

Minden