Commentaire 76 – commentaires et rétroaction

Mary Shier

I am writing to your committee to express my profound disappointment with the proposal to divide the Town of Halton Hills into two separate ridings. This is beyond absurd as years were spent to create one community for Acton, Georgetown and the rural area of Esquesing Township. Much progress has been made on many fronts with the advent of amalgamation back in the 70's.

The rationale according to what I have read is all about equalizing the numbers of eligible voters in each riding. That is all well and good except that dividing a vibrant community literally in half using Trafalgar Road as the boundary is ridiculous. I am pretty sure there is much consternation Milton as well...creating the new East and West Halton Hills and the same for Milton.

How can you possibly justify that splitting actual functioning communities is the best way to redraw the boundaries?

I am extremely suspicious that there is more at play than striving for more equal populations. If I didn't live in Canada... I'd swear that this is the northern way of gerrymandering that is practised by our neighbours to the south of us. In essence it is a blatant move to start the erosion of democracy by gradually stripping away the rights of every day citizens and increasing the power of politicians to maintain the power in their riding.

Mary Shier