Dear Editor:
(Columnist) Keith Baldrey thinks the economy is key in this election (Economy Emerging As Defining Electoral Issue, Sept. 25), but the participants at the recent Democracy Café at the North Vancouver City Library disagreed. Attendees, from Grade 7 to frail seniors, didn’t even mention the economy.
Some of the most impassioned speeches of the morning were in favour of the NDP’s daycare policy, but the need for electoral reform was a close second.
The millennials, who were shocked to hear how much daycare costs, couldn’t really make it their primary concern but were sure that the winner-take-all electoral system was a major factor in their low turnout on election days. They didn’t have fairvote.ca on their resource information pages, but were glad to know about it.
The environment and health care were other critical concerns. One can certainly argue that the environment, daycare and health care are economic issues, but I’m not sure the word was even mentioned.
Baldrey is probably not available for the next Democracy Café, which will have a different focus, but someone from the North Shore News should certainly look in on these fascinating exercises in public education.
We are fortunate to have them. The libraries, North Shore Community Resources, and the Multicultural Society, which sponsored the series, and the university students who facilitated – all of them deserve our thanks.
Donna Stewart
North Vancouver
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