RE Reality has no place in political perceptions

This article is aptly titled since reality has no place in Mr. Hoy's perceptions. First assumption: that the local riding associations are democratic. It is well known that the ridings often choose our representatives and even our prime ministers based on the votes of a mere 200-300 local riding party members. They choose their candidates based upon their perception of what the voters want. Eighty percent of the time, they think a middle aged, professional man typifies the ideal candidate. So this decision, made in isolation and replicated across the country, ultimately produces a legislature that is 80% male, election after election.

Riding associations ignore the fact that over 90% of Canadians want to vote for women. They ignore the fact that often the party as a whole wants to nominate more women. They ignore the fact that once nominated, women are as successful as men, if they can manage to navigate the shifting and often capricious rules of these associations. They ignore the fact that these associations benefit from public moneys yet they function as a sort of fiefdom.

The democratic deficit does not reside in Dion's actions but in the local ridings defending a dysfunctional process that is our current voting system. Our firstpast the-post system is so antiquated that no new country chooses it and the number of countries using it is declining. Other countries seem to have no problems finding enough women to run but then they have fair voting systems (Wales and Scotland at 50% and 40% women spring to mind). Currently the Citizen's Assembly is deliberating on changing our system in Ontario. Hopefully, they will choose a system that no longer gives male candidates an electoral subsidy and which is fairer and more democratic for us all.

June Macdonald

Toronto