I am totally against a single transferable vote [STV] system for
BC. At first, I was enamoured by it but have subsequently
discovered that it is a false hope for delivering true proportional
democracy in BC.
No one I know in the Lower Mainland wants super large electoral
districts. In my area such a district would include New
Westminster, Burnaby and several other current electoral districts.
Ranking candidates from one to five or six that they want to see to
represent this giant multi-member electoral district is asking too
much from ordinary citizens. People are not that politically
motivated or interested to be able to know that many candidates and
rank which ones they like the best.
Further more the formula for figuring out who wins is a
mathematical nightmare. Although I think I understand the quota
calculation and how the second preferences are counted in sequence,
I am unable to explain it to anyone else.
If the Citizens' Assembly wants to deliver a failure, all it has
to do is recommend a STV System for BC. The voters will totally
reject it.
The mixed member proportional [MMP] system is much simpler and
easier to explain and I think voters will go for this kind of
system. It works in New Zealand and it will work here.
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