The premier said in the LA when he was speaking about the referendum on the One Man, One Vote (OMOV) issue that he was being as fair as possible. Even knowing Mr. Bush as I do I gasped at that.

What does the meaning of “being as fair as possible” mean to you?

To me, it means everyone is treated the same. No one can be a favourite. I will treat you the same as I treat another person.

The definition of “fair” to Mr. Bush seems life is not fair. Fair is a dream, you deal with it.

It certainly doesn’t have to be equal to be fair in his analogy. What is fair to him is very unfair to the other party. I think when he said he was being as fair as possible he actually was telling the truth. It would be impossible for him to be fair any other way because he is so opposed to the OMOV principle.

The actual definition in a dictionary of fair pertaining to its use here is this:

1. free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice
2. legitimately sought, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules (as in a fair fight)
3. without irregularity or unevenness (as in a fair surface)
4. honest; just; straightforward

and my favourite:

1. without favouring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner

However, the premier added in the words “as possible”. It would be impossible for him personally to be fairer.

We now have the revelation that no new voters will be allowed on the electoral roll because of the update period being quarterly. Anyone who has not registered with the elections office before the end of April cannot vote in the referendum. The law could be changed and given the importance of this vote it should.

Yes, the law can be changed but it takes the government to do it. The government is passionately against their own referendum. They do not want OMOV to pass because they know, especially in West Bay (where the premier lives) it would be far more difficult to get all four UDP candidates elected. So it will NOT happen and any more discussion on the subject is a waste of time.

I read this morning on CNS and I quote:

“With the implementation of the Bill of Rights this November the issue campaigners for OMOV say the cut off raises a question of human rights, especially as the premier announced the date of the referendum literally days before the legal cut off point for the quarterly update of the register. The OMOV movement believes that there is time for the government to make an amendment to the law and open the register for another month allowing people to partake in what will be an historic national referendum.”

After speaking with Johann Moxam, he tells me that his quote (on CNS) was taken out of context and he and his grass roots team are not going to spend time on trying to convince government to amend the law. They have, however, made the public aware of another stumbling block the premier has put in their way.

I urge the OMOV to put their energies into educating the public (as the premier says he is going to do) in a few simple facts.

1. Your one vote counts for more as it is a vote for the person you place top and is not eroded by any other person on the voting paper.
2. The fairness of the OMOV system over the unfairness of the system we have now
3. The real reason the premier is against it
4. Name all the countries in the world that use the OMOV
5. Name all the obstacles the government have put in the way of OMOV to stop it becoming law
6. And why it is important to vote – the 8,000 plus 1 threshold
7. Absentee voters can still vote

These are the basics and this should be hammered home now. If you put too much information it gets lost. Pick only two or three for your main thrusts. Come up with a catchy slogan. Remember, less is more.

And start now in earnest. Government already has.

You don’t have to be fair either.