Editor: Re: One political coalition is plotting to kill another (the Times BC Views, Dec. 4).

I don鈥檛 know what party Tom Fletcher supports but he鈥檚 certainly quoting from the BC Liberal playbook

He鈥檚 reiterating the fear mongering and slanted comments used by the BC Liberals in trying to scuttle the campaign for electoral reform.

He and the BC Liberals seem to be using the Big Lie tactic used by propagandists the world over.

Tell it often enough and loudly enough and then people will believe it.

Fletcher engages in fear mongering: 鈥淐ommunists could win a seat in the B.C. legislature, perhaps joined by one of those hard-right anti-immigration parties that are flourishing in Europe.鈥� Yes, and it could snow in Victoria in July.

Fact is fringe parties in B.C. get a very small percentage of the popular vote, not enough to win a seat.

It鈥檚 easy to prevent every tiny party from winning a seat.

Use a threshold, a certain percent of the popular vote being required to get a seat through proportional representation, or requite a party to win a seat through the normal process before being eligible for a proportional seat.

Fear mongering again, raising the spectre of rural areas dominated by those awful urban areas, where most of the population is concentrated. 鈥淭hat the referendum be decided by a simple majority of those who actually vote, regardless of region or turnout.鈥�

Isn鈥檛 this how government works?

Sit in any session of the legislature and you鈥檒l see that a simple majority rules.

You鈥檒l see that when the Clark鈥檚 Liberals were in power, their predominantly rural power base wagged the urban dog.

Public financing of political parties?

Except for India and Switzerland, all the established democracies engage in some form of public subsidy.

In an age where money wins elections, doing away with corporate and union donations and replacing those with public subsidies makes for a more level playing field.

Daryl Sturdy,

Vancouver