Submission ANDERSON-1027 (Online)

MMP offers an appealing mixture of local representation and parliamentary constituencies that accurately reflect the spectrum of political opinions in the population at large. I am not in favour of the "Preferential-Plus" proposal. [1 page]

My wife and I will be moving to Vancouver next year, so I hope you will consider this comment as that of next year's B.C. citizen.

From the systems that appear to be on the table, the Mixed Member Proportional representation is the most democratic, has proven to produce the highest voter turnout (over 80% turnout in countries that use MMP such as Denmark and Belgium) and offers an appealing mixture of local representation and parliamentary constituencies that accurately reflect the spectrum of political opinions in the population at large.

My sincere hope is that British Columbia choose a mixed member proportional representation system.

The one option that frightens me, however, is the so-called "Preferential-Plus" program, which would be the worst of all worlds: stacking the deck toward one political extreme in one part of the province (winner-take-all in the rural areas) and giving that same political extreme the maximum possible representation (via STV) in B.C.'s urban and suburban areas. This is a confusing, ill-conceieved, jerry-rigged system that makes the Florida debacle in the 2000 U.S. presidential elections look like a model for popular governance.

My wife and I are moving to B.C. to get away from the kind of mean-spirited, anti-democratic politics that "Preferential Plus" represents.

I hope that the Citizens' Assembly rejects "Preferential Plus" outright.

Thank you for hearing me out.