| | | | | | | { i) { arms a op ae ee HALIFAX (CP) — ‘The trouble with elections is that cent. Per Though despised by the inajority, Phoghorn ae eaiable box ip Malin Shear ted oo where there are more th pve Nee pent But now Steven Brams, a politics p York University, has proposed a simple solution to this flaw of democracies. He calls it approv’l voting. “I predict it's going to be the election reform of the century,” he said in an interview. You simply let each person vote for as many or as few of the candidates as he wants, as long as he doesn't vote for any candidate more than once With approval voting, most Outer Boondockians. would vote for Both Twaddle and Blather, putting Phoghorn in last place where he belongs. Either Twaddle or Blather would win, depending on which has the highest number of votes from double-voting Phoghornites or the most supporters who used only one vote. With thousands of people voting, Brams says approval voting has no more chance of a tie than any other election, Brams has been expounding his theory at a three-weelp jong international conference on public choices at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He and a colleague, Peter Fishburn, published the theory last year in a book called Approval Voting. He stresses that approval voting is not the same as Regative voting, in which voters would vote against the candidate they least prefer. Approval voting is more flexible, particularly when there is a large field of candidates, because voters can vote for any portion of the slate. He says he hit upon the idea independently in the 1970s, but about five other sets of people came up with similar ideas at about the same time. Approval voting appears to have no flaws, he says. It is easy to understand, simple to administer, could be used used in any where there: are more ‘thas two Briaa L. a choices. 5, 38 5 * ad content pe at he voting, but Ee ate Brants says tures in New: v B * ‘abd Vermont are rown wins. urray Betk, ‘a prominent historian at Certified Genera! at New Dalhousi does ot feel approval voting is Hp rrianieadae needed in Canada because the Jeast popular candidates seldom wins here: 270 Columbia Ave. TRIES SYSTEM "4 Canada is no stranger to experimental voting systems, Ph. 365-215} Beck pointed out, although the only enduring reform he could think of in the structure of national voting in recent decades has been the move to sin ber it i gle-mem! After the First World War, when there was a move in Western Canada to strengthen the public's role in the political process, Alberta and Manitoba tried “alternate voting” in rural ridings. Voters would mark on the ballot to preference. If the leader didn't have more than 50 per cent of the votes as the first choice, then second and third choices and so on would be taken into account in naming a winner. The system was adopted in British Columbia for awhile and is credited by some historians with W.A.C. Bennett's Soeial Credit victory over the NDP im 1962. His candidates won more secondary support than the New Democrats, Beck said. MOROSO, MARKIN & BLAIN Certified General Accountants 241 Columbia Ave. Castlega: ic Meanwhile, Brams says his research indicates that, even with approval voting, President Reagan would still have won the 1980 U.S. election. However, John Anderson, the popular independent candidate, would have done much better than he did. And Chicago would not have elected Harqld Washington as its Soligo, Koide & Joha Ph. 365-7287 Via to repair stations WINNIPEG (CP ) — Via Rail will soon be getting something old and something new, with both acquisitions intended to improve service by the publicly-owned rail passenger carrier, Transport Minister Lloyd Axworthy TURNER PUBLIC FORUMS VANCOUVER (CP) Prime Minister Turner's op- ponents in Vancouver Qua- dra want a date with the Liberal leader, but Turner is proving elusive. “A number of community groups have been trying to arrange all-candidate forums, but they have met with a complete lack of co-operation from the Turner campaign in Quadra,” said New Democra- tie Party candidate Ray Cantillon. A local community news- paper had scheduled a meet- ing for Aug. 19 to involve Turner, Cantillon and Pro gressive Conservative can- didate Bill Clarke. But it was cancelled because Turner's participation could not be confirmed Vicki Chase, a spokesman in the prime minister's office in Ottawa, could not say when Turner will next visit British Columbia. “The itinerary we have for him (Turner) is complete up until Aug. 19, and he's not scheduled to be in B.C during that time,” Chase said. “We do not have an itinerary for him yet after that date.” Turner said last weekend that he would consider par ticipafing in » Quadra all candidates meeting if it was arranged for a time that would “fit in to my schedule.” WANTS CHANGES His political opponents would like to see him re arrange his schedule the meeting. Cantillon called Turter’s sporadic appearances in the riding “a mockery of his commitment to run in ow dra.” ee announced Tuesday. Via will buy the stations it now uses across the country — many of them dating to.the last century — and will spend $100 million to replace and refurbish its rolling stock, some of which is so old that if AVOIDS JOHN TURNER Clarke lamented the lack of all-candidates meetings in the riding to help voters cast their ballots on the basis of information. Meanwhile, the other can- didates — there are eight of them are upset about” being excluded from “the proposed meeting. Jim Bohlen, the Greer party candidate in the ridthg, said their point of view walt excluded from the national leaders’ debate and they are being ignored at the “Ideal level in many constituenciés. “It seems organizers) are notifying the major parties and not the minor parties,” Bohlen said. “People call*our 4 office up and want to know why we weren't at an ‘al mayer: Chertered Accountants He also says the Republicans would pot have selected Barry Gold as their pi i did. in 1964 and tie Docise ets OOLd ant Weve chisak George ucGoverata; (© 12 COmummn Aves 1976. Castlegar CLOTHING, DRAPERIES, Phone 365-7745 WICKLUM orp BEDSPREADS Henry John, B.Sc.,C.A . Resident Partner ROOFING NEARLY NEW SHOP Ce poe Phone 368-3617 it were used on the highways it would qualify for antique license plates. Axworthy also told a news conference that Via had negotiated a new operating agreement with CN Rail which he said means more information will be shared by the two Crown corporations. The minister said Via officials will soon start meet- ing with local CN and CP Rail officials across the country to discuss the development of stations which the two major railways held onto after Via took over their passenger trains in 1978. Although Via has some new equipment, much of its rolling stoek was built in the 1940s and ‘50s, and some of its diesel locomotives are so rare that rail fans travel from all over North America to photograph them. Via took in $173 million from the average 18,500 passengers it carried an 140 trains a day last year, and by combining that, revenue with $451.2 million it received from the federal treasury, it reported a profit of $1.6 million. SETS OUT TERMS The new operating agree ment with the railways, which got out of the passen-, Dining ard Kitchen Thome, office ond resteurants choirs Custom mode cushions tor Vors ond Compers ger business after years of losing money, sets out terms under which Via contracts for the use of tracks, mainten- ance facilities and road crews, Axworthy said It recognizes that Via now operates its own mainten ance facilities at Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Win- nipeg. Among the stations Via is buying will be Winnipeg's stately CN depot for $24 million, spending another $1 million to renovate the build- jing and to improve bus-rail - service out of the downtown building “There has been a major disparity between the ques- tion of who managed and owned stations and who used them,” said Axworthy Some new station develop. ment has already taken place on an ad hoc basis in Quebec City and Sudbury, Ont., but Axworthy, who is campaign ing for re-election Sept. 4 in his Winnipeg-Fort Garry rid ing, said his announcement represented creation of a firm new national policy for Via. he could provide no cost estimates for station devel opment in other cities, and railway officials said talks are still under way. @Kenm ad 365-5451 or 364-0411 * All Parts Stocked * Rebuilt Timers © Used Applionces & Consignments * Coin-operated Machines © Industrial Loundry Wr ALSO SERVICE + KENMORE TOL © HOTOUNT # EFC CASTLEGAR PLUMBING & HEATING LTD. 1008 Cotvmibie Ave Ph. 3 Russell Auctions 399-4793 Thrums Buy or Sell by Auction * All Brand Names Serviced ' '2237-6th Ave., Castlegar Invite you Jo call them for ¢ free imate. 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