[To see the submission in its original format, see the linked
documents below]
1. A Brief to the
Citizen’s Assembly On a type of Preferential Ballot
system
I compliment the Provincial Government for having the courage,
concern and perspicacity to organize and sponsor a
Citizens’ Assembly review of our voting system.
The intention is commendable and the process by which the
Citizens’ Assembly was chosen was well-planned,
innovative and fair. It breaks new ground as a way to
improve the democratic process in our provincial voting system.
Having observed the voting system in Ireland, where voters in
each riding can vote their preferences by indicating their first
choice, second choice, their third choice, etc. I
believe that such a system is worth considering for British
Columbia.
If one of the candidates wins a clear majority, (50% plus) on
the first count, that candidate is declared the winner of the seat
in that riding.
But, if there is not a clear winner the Candidate with the least
number of votes is eliminated. The second choice votes
on his ballots are then distributed amongst the other candidates,
then if there is a clear majority (50% + 1), for any candidate,
that candidate is declared the winner.
The process continues, until some candidate has a clear
majority.
I support that system for its fairness in electing the choice of
the majority, and I believe it would work well in British
Columbia.
The Irish system has some multiple-member constituencies which
can make it very confusing. I believe that the British
Columbia system should retain the idea of one M.L.A. per
constituency.
2. Brief to the Citizens’
Assembly On the desirability of reducing the size of constituencies
on the basis of size, population, spread and distance from the
Legislature, in the interest of fair representation
Having expressed my support for a preferential ballot system for
reasons given above, I wish to point out a serious weakness in any
system that does not take into account the geography, the distance
from the Capital, the number of communities and the size,
concentration or spread of the population in each Constituency.
Our present system denies equal or fair representation to the
people who live in rural and sparsely populated constituencies.
A classic and simple example would be to compare the
Victoria/Beacon Hill Constituency in Victoria with the North Island
Constituency, which covers the northern half of Vancouver Island
and its off-shore islands.
In Victoria/Beacon Hill, a candidate for election can rent one
office, advertise in one local paper, communicate with all
constituents by local phone calls (no long distance charges), hire
one central meeting hall for public meetings and walk around the
constituency meeting his constituents. He has direct
and immediate contact with his constituents and they with him.
And, importantly, when the candidate is elected, he or she can
walk to the Legislature and devote the maximum amount of time
serving the needs of his or her constituents.
On the other hand, a Candidate wishing to represent North Island
must have multiple offices around the vast Constituency, as there
are nine Municipalities, two Regional Districts, (Mount Waddington
& Comox) ten unincorporated communities and eight First Nations
communities.
Meetings with constituents require the hiring of a meeting hall in
each community and extremely complicated travel schedules (and
ferry schedules) to attempt the challenge of meeting a large
cross-section of constituents face to face.
Newspaper advertising involves different local newspapers and a
variety of Radio and Television stations have to be contended with,
as well. Unlike a city constituency, telephone
communication involves the cost and frustration of long distance
phone calls.
Another major challenge for the rural candidate is the
obligation to meet and become familiar with a large number of
Municipal councils, Regional District Boards, Regional Hospital
Boards, School District Boards and Chambers of Commerce, Labour
Councils and Union locals.
Most rural candidates spend two days a week travelling back and
forth to Victoria, which means that about 30% of their time is
spent travelling.
The rural candidate must also be well-informed on a large number
of resource and resource processing industries, such as Forestry,
Mining, Agriculture, Fishing and Wilderness Tourism.
In summary, there is no comparison between the task of
representing an urban riding, and a rural riding that is a distance
from the Capital and whose population is spread out around many
different communities.
For the foregoing reasons, in the interest of fair
representation, I respectfully suggest that our
Citizens’ Assembly recommend the redrawing of all
Constituencies across the province, reducing the size of the rural
constituencies using factors that recognise;
1) The distance from the
Capital
2) The sheer geographical spread
of rural constituencies
3) The number of communities in
each.
The choice of a new voting system for our province is a major
first step in ensuring that the successful candidate is truly
representative of his or her constituents.
But true, full and fair representation will not happen until
constituency sizes are modified to reflect the barriers of
distance, size, population and spread.
As a Candidate in the North Island riding in three provincial
elections, I know whereof I speak.
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