"St Catharines needs to be divided up no matter what...We should take St.Catharines and divided it up into three different areas".
It goes on to say that the Welland M.P., who is a New Democrat, wants to "carve up" the city before the 2015 election. That Mr. Allen has "Hatched a Scheme" to divided the riding. Adding that there was no consultation with anyone; you, the Mayor, Liberal M.P.P. Jim Bradley (provincial ridings generally conform to federal ridings, so he would also be affected) or Himself. The jeremiad continues, asserting that the citizens of St. Catharines are being ignored; there interests going unrecognized. It finishes with a flourish, Informing the by now outraged citizen that "the new hospital our city has needed for years would become part of Niagara West...". Are we being invited to conclude that because the hospital is in a new riding, the fine citizens of St. Catharines will find their enjoyment of that facility impaired? I leave presumption to you , gentle reader. The big finish has Mr. Dykstra asking for our support for his efforts to keep the boundaries unchanged and thus preserve the hospital present location within the boundaries of this riding.
The denouement, a few question that solicit the citizen's opinion; the kind of yes or no questions that direct a reader to answer in the affirmative, if only because it's the sensible response.
I'm not a conservative. If a Harper M.P. loses his riding to boundary changes I'd likely not lose any sleep over it. But in the interest of fairness, I would think that a conservative supporter might not feel as I do. So let's look at the issue and see what truths can be found.
Riding boundary changes happen from time to time; they are not radical or political. They result most often due to population changes. The purpose is to ensure as much as possible that riding populations are of similar size; so that all Canadians get the representation they require. The federal government is adding seats to the the House of Commons and it is the Boundary Commission's job to draw the new lines.
The present St. Catharines' riding boundary is described here. The proposed change is shown here. The new riding is leaner, conceding some of the present population to Niagara West and Welland. The Boundary Commission has not proposed the dissolution of the St. Catharines riding as indicated in Mr. Dykstra's handout. So how come it makes up the body of his mailing? That is because Mr. Allen did suggest that very change. Here in this article he can be found the unmodified quote used by Dykstra.
"'St. Catharines needs to be divided up no matter what because it's so big,' said Allen 'We should take St. Catharines and divide it up into three different areas, have parts of it in all the other ridings'"
The full quote is unlikely to mollify a conservative, but it provides a context ,Mr. Allen's proposal appear practical as opposed to a political. Allen is a member of the NDP caucus, an opponent. Dykstra unskillfully suggests this is a political attack. Keep in mind that Allen's proposal is not the official boundary change, just something he would like to see. The very banal nature of boundary changes takes on a different aspect when couched in partisan terms. It would appear that Dykstra would like to see his constituents register their disapproval of the suggested boundary changes based on Allen's statement rather than the actual proposal. That is disingenuous. When you add the anxiety stoking over the removal of the new hospital from the St. Catharines riding it sinks his position further; as if the shifting of a Map line would imperil the health and welfare the citizens of St. Catharines.
I note here that public hearings on boundary changes were held, which should address the suggestion that there was no consultation. It may not be as extensive as you might like, but that is a separate issue entirely.
Invoking community solidarity is an argument aimed at the heart not the head. I submit that there will be no rending of garments over the separation, by an imaginary line draw on a map, of beloved family members. The change will hardly be noticed by 61% riding members that bothered to vote.
Dykstra's concern can be encapsulated in the 2011 election results. He received a majority 50.86% of the 61% of eligible voters that bothered to show up at polling stations. A rare majority in a multiparty system that utilizes the first-past-the-post electoral system. A healthy electoral win, they may be imperiled if the voters being carved off are his. I'd expect that Dykstra's people would have a good idea of whether he is losing supporters to the proposed changes, if not, get new people.
So what seems to be at stake here is Dykstra's seat, either from the not quite likely to be adopted suggestion by Allen to erase the St. Catharines riding; to the real proposal of the boundary commission to tweak the lines. I don't begrudge Dykstra the desire to remain an MP or to oppose changes that might make a difference in the realization of that end. But I disapprove of the way the case was made in the handout.
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