Re: “Vote for MPs who will address climate change,” Letters, Oct. 3
Green supporters such as Andy Shadrack and Gail Bauman may have hearts in the right place. However, voters who are “green” in outlook also need to be realistic.
Like it or not, it is a virtual certainty that the riding of Kootenay-Columbia will be won by either the Conservatives or the NDP. The Greens’ chances of winning here are virtually nil. Moreover, votes for the Greens are sure to improve the prospects of a Conservative victory, in this (probably) tight contest. And the present Conservatives, with their main pillars of support in Alberta and the parts of Ontario that support Doug Ford, are manifestly indifferent if not hostile to environmental concerns.
The stark reality of voting in our first-past-the-post system is that a Green vote here (unlike on Vancouver Island) will inevitably not just be wasted. It is actually what the Conservatives want to happen.
Bob Malcolmson
Nelson