Re: Proportional representation problems

Claire Hoy’s latest slingshot at proportional representation ends this way: “Our current system, although not perfect, is better than any other system on the planet. We don’t need to change it. All we need is politicians who will keep their word.”

Short of torture, how do we manage that? With notable exceptions, politicians can be a slippery lot. Proportional representation offers a pretty good way of doing this because under it, no one party is likely to have a majority. As a result, parties will be obliged to cooperate in stable coalitions as they do now in 81 countries. Whatever promises they make to us would be closely monitored and enforced by their opponents, who will be watching them like the proverbial hawks.

In an ideal world, a promise made should be a promise kept. It’s true, I suppose, that a politician who failed to keep a promise can be voted out in four years time but then we would just have to repeat the same cycle the next time. P.R. suggests a new way to break that old, tired cycle.

June Macdonald

Mono