Dear Editor,

Political observers indicate that we will soon be entering into a federal election season. Here’s one way in which Canada has a governmental structural advantage over the United States, multi-party campaigns and the possibility of a functioning minority government. It’s difficult — and I hope, impossible for one party to gain dictatorial advantage, when there are several parties in play. Although only two parties have been in power, the other parties have some say, especially when the balance is near to a three-way, or more split. 

Now, how do we set it up, to make sure that the government we get is a balanced, collaborative house, having to pass legislation through debate and persuasion rather than party-whip coercion? I wish I knew. Please contribute your thoughts on this, between now and voting day, so that we can continue with the relatively productive times we’ve experienced recently. 

I sometimes hear or read people saying, “That idiot we have is ruining everything …” Well, that’s neither true nor helpful. Anyone who gets themselves elected to high office knows something that you don’t, so until you figure that out, those people will be running the government. 

The best we can do is maintain our distance, keep your own life going and vote in a minority, so that the elected hockey teams can run their various plays up and down the ice while we go about our lives. Imagine if there were three teams on the ice in a hockey game. I hope there will be a place on the ballot to vote for the next government to be a minority.

Robert Wills 

Shawville and Thorne, Que.