It looks as though PEI’s Liberal Government has no interest in following results of the plebiscite to select a new electoral system.
But, should we really be surprised?
The word Plebiscite comes from the latin word Plebs, or the common people, and the latin word Scitum meaning decree, forming the word Plebiscitum, or a decree from the common people. Over the course of time Plebiscitum was translated into french and then eventually into the word we use today, plebiscite.
Essentially, a plebiscite is a cry from the lower classes of society to the ruling elite. But unlike Roman times, our Plebiscite is one that can fall on deaf ears as the Government is not legally obligated to follow it.
Currently, the Liberals are not following the results of the plebiscite as they feel not enough Islanders voted. If the Liberals were planning on actually making changes to the very electoral system that has kept them in power on PEI they would have called a referendum from the beginning.
A referendum is legally binding and all Island residents would have been required to go to physical polls as they would for a normal election. But, instead, they chose to have a plebiscite and then immediately tune out the voices of Islanders, both young and old who voted for change.
This is an important issue that will have implications on the generations to come, but instead we are seeing an opportunity to move forward be thrown away in an effort to keep a flawed political system that doesn’t represent the people.
More proof that the Liberals have been phony with their pledges to change the electoral system came on Nov 10, 2016.
The Green party MLA’s brought forth a motion to accept the plebiscite results. That all sounds fine and dandy, except two Liberal MLAs, Jordan Brown and Tina Mundy, spent a combined 91 minutes debating the issue. The two Liberal MLAs spent so much time that there wasn’t enough time to hold a vote on the matter.
In comparison, the other six speakers on Tuesday spent a combined 20 minutes debating the issue.
This is a textbook example of a filibuster, which is defined as a political tactic of using prolonged speeches or other methods to obstruct legislative proceedings. This is a tactic often used by a minority opposition who has no other way to stop a majority party’s legislation.
In this case, we are seeing it being done by a Government operating with 10 more seats in the legislature than the combined total of the opposition.This is unacceptable. This plebiscite has been a Liberal rouse. They knew that Islanders would not come out in force to vote in the Plebiscite, giving them an out.
The Liberals are acting dishonestly and all of this is merely political theater in an effort to paint the same old Liberals as people wanting progressive change. In reality, they are clinging on to the first past the post system with their grubby little claws, knowing it is the key to their legislative control.
Islanders, I urge you to reach out to your MLA and let them know you won’t stand for this type of behavior in our assembly. These people are selected to represent us, and they are paid well to do so, not to waste our time with filibusters and a phony plebiscite.
newsbydylan 