㽶ƵֱIf you were woke, you㽶Ƶֱd know that pro rep is lit.㽶Ƶֱ
It㽶Ƶֱs the 11-word sentence that has turned heads of all ages since it was uttered by Premier John Horgan during Thursday night㽶Ƶֱs electoral reform debate with BC Liberal Party leader Andrew Wilkinson.
Social media users were quick to judge what they saw as a cringe-worthy comment, which Horgan defended on Twitter shortly after the 30-minute debate.
I stand by my statement. .
㽶Ƶֱ John Horgan (@jjhorgan)
Proportional representation means exactly what it says: 40% of the votes = 40% of the seats.
Governments elected under pro rep do what so many of us do every day. They work together to get things done.
If you㽶Ƶֱre one of the many people who don㽶Ƶֱt know what those words mean, 㽶Ƶֱwoke㽶Ƶֱ means to understand what㽶Ƶֱs really going on in a situation, while 㽶Ƶֱlit㽶Ƶֱ often means being intoxicated at parties, but anything fun.
Even New Democrat Bowinn Ma, B.C.㽶Ƶֱs youngest MLA at 33 years old, said she didn㽶Ƶֱt know the two words until Thursday night.
Learning this phrase tonight reconfirms for me what I've said before: That I'm the youngest MLA in BC at 33 doesn't tell you how youthful I am; it tells you how old is! Let's change this with an electoral system that engages younger voters.
㽶Ƶֱ Bowinn Ma (@BowinnMa)
Meanwhile, the catchphrase caught the attention of many online.
The woke and lit comment by Horgan was an attempt to be relatable... I'm sensing a lot of eye-rolls from the intended audience and google searches from everyone else
㽶Ƶֱ Carol Wain (@carolwain)
When Premier Horgan said 㽶Ƶֱwoke㽶Ƶֱ and 㽶Ƶֱlit㽶Ƶֱ I finally understood why my teenage daughters cringe when I repeatedly ask them 㽶ƵֱIf they heard any good tea at school today.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶Ƶֱ Adrian 🤦🏻㽶Ƶֱ♂️ (@AY604)
Go John Horgan, but did he just say 㽶Ƶֱif you were woke, you㽶Ƶֱd know that pro rep is lit?㽶Ƶֱ That was...surreal
㽶Ƶֱ Ishmam Bhuiyan (@ish_bhuiyan25)
Wilkinson and Horgan mostly talked over each other during the debate, staying on familiar talking points.
㽶ƵֱLet㽶Ƶֱs get modern, let㽶Ƶֱs get hip,㽶Ƶֱ Horgan said, in a bid to emphasize how the current First Past the Post system gives a majority to parties who did not get more than half the votes, and that B.C. needs to modernize.
Wilkinson hammered the point that many ballots are being 㽶Ƶֱthrown in the trash㽶Ƶֱ because people haven㽶Ƶֱt had the time or information to assess the options.
Mail-in ballots are due on Nov. 30 at Elections BC.
㽶Ƶֱ With files from Tom Fletcher
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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