[LINK] Rock Stars on the Island

[rfmcdonald]

No, I'm not talking about Bonnie Raitt's residences up east. Rather, I'm talking about the decision of Krist Novoselic, late of Nirvana, to intervene in Prince Edward Island support for mixed-member proportional representation on Prince Edward Island. I would have missed this news entirely if not for mortonofski's note.

Krist Novoselic, the former bass player for the legendary Seattle grunge band Nirvana, wrote in favour of the merits of mixed-member proportional representation yesterday in the Charlottetown Guardian.

Voters in Canada's smallest province head to the polls on Monday to cast their ballots in a plebiscite on electoral reform. They will choose between the existing first-past-the-post system and a two-ballot, mixed-member proportional representation system under which 17 representatives would be elected to the provincial legislature as they are now, with a further 10 elected through a second ballot to balance the number of seats each party gets to reflect the popular vote.

In his commentary, Mr. Novoselic argues that a Yes vote to mixed-member proportional representation would "fire a shot heard across the continent. And the sound will carry across North America to Ottawa, Washington, D.C., and all provincial and state capitals in between."

[. . .]

Mr. Novoselic notes in his commentary that in the past 12 elections in P.E.I., the government party has won, on average, nearly four times more seats than the opposition, despite attracting just 1.4 times more votes. "Please lead our continent by endorsing a vision of a more inclusive, competitive and 21st century democracy,'' he writes.

Mr. Novoselic's opinion shows up just as the hotly contested campaign over proportional representation moves into its final week. The issue has divided the normally placid Islanders, and for weeks both sides have filled the Guardian's letters page.

Traditionally an insular community, Islanders don't take kindly to "come-from-aways" telling them how to conduct their business -- even if they are famous rock stars, and his comments have sparked resentment.

"It's a little condescending to have this group bringing in these so-called experts to tell us poor unknowing Islanders how we should decide things,'' said Pat Mella, the province's former treasurer and an advocate for the No side. "I find that insulting to most of us."

Mr. Novoselic responded, "I'm not an expert. I was a bass player in a rock band. My father was a machinist and my mother a hairdresser. Democracy is everybody's business."

Ah, the petty xenophobia of home. Might I praise Novoselic for his intervention?

UPDATE (11:15 PM) : Ryan Pollard caught it first.