Wednesday October 7, 2015 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Nature’s reading room Roanne Oben reads a book underneath the fall colours of McGuire Lake Park in the late afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 4. For more images from this spectacular fall weekend, check out page A14.
EvaN BuhlEr/ObServer
Group hopes to aid strategic voting Federal election: Local poll information may help voters make decisions at the ballot box. By lachlan labere ObServer STAFF
A non-partisan group of local citizens is moving ahead with a poll to assist voters who may wish to vote strategically. Speaking on the group’s behalf, Warren bell said they are in the process of raising $1,250 to have Oraclepoll research conduct the poll in the north Okanagan-Shuswap riding. The end result will be made available to assist voters with how they might vote. “The poll is to facilitate strategic voting on the part of individ-
ual citizens who are trying to decide which of the parties they will vote for if the party they would choose to vote for isn’t in a position to be elected…,” said bell, who expects the polling to take place sometime this week. “We’re going to publish the results for everybody to see, and give them to the candidates too so they can have them.” bell said the intention behind the poll is not to tell people how to vote. However, he said the current conservative government, and the actions of Prime Minister
Stephen Harper, are think we wouldn’t be driving the poll. bothering to do this,” “I think if Prime said bell, noting he Minister Harper had is part of another lonot been so inclined cal group, renewing to move in direcdemocracy Through tions that are quite co-operation, whose different from the members are keen to directions that… the see the existing firstprevious conservapast-the-post electorWarren Bell tive governments, al system replaced by Seeking a the previous liberal a more progressive local poll governments and, proportional system. of course, the ndP, bell says an alternate if he hadn’t gone beyond where system would make strategic votany of them have gone before, I ing unnecessary.
This week With less than two weeks until the election, candidates respond to our questions. See A10. Knitting takes root at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery with the latest exhibit. See A21.
“What happens when you get a proportional system is really quite compelling,” said bell. “You get a greater turnout, you get more diversity, you get less contrast between one regime and the next, you don’t get a sort of swing from one side to the other, you get more parties involved, you get more negotiation involved, you get more co-operation involved.” each of the north OkanaganShuswap candidates had their own thoughts on the proposed See Candidates on page A2
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............. A14 Sports................A17-A20 Arts & Events ... A21-A23 Time Out................... A24 Vol. 108, No. 40, 48 pages