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Thursday's letter: Referendum requires informed voters
Дата публикации: 24-09-2026 10:00:12
Основное содержимое страницы с новостью.
A technical briefing provided on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, by Elections Alberta for the media on preparations, the voting process and the count for the Oct. 19 referendum in Alberta. Photo by Shaughn Butts /PostmediaThe referendum is a threat to informed democracy. True democracy requires a fully informed electorate before making their choices on ballots. That is why almost all ballots are held after public election debates, not before.
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Marketing and selling, rather than information-sharing, has infected democracy. The referendum ballots’ wording does not pass the test of informing voters. Questions are worded to tempt and mislead voters, leading many to mistrust the foundation of democracy. Parliamentary democracy requires that questions like constitutional matters and policy issues, such as immigration and justice, require rigorous representative debate.
Debate exposes the details and complications of such issues, resulting in more transparency for the electorate. When voters do not get all the information, they are led to make choices that sometimes produce consequential future surprises. Parliamentary democracy does not include presidential executive orders like the U.S.
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The cruel irony of this referendum is the deliberate avoidance and silence by leadership. The referendum was publicly marketed as a mechanism for Albertans to decide directly. The exact opposite is the reality. Voters have not had the opportunity to hear the consequences and costs of any of the questions.
Real democracy dictates that a government should always introduce legislation into the legislative assembly for debate, or call an election and let the public directly decide through informed public debate about what future they desire for themselves and future generations.
Robert (Bob) E. Wanner, retired Speaker of Alberta’s 29th Legislature
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