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Submission ONEILL-0892 (Online)

Submission ByMr Daniel O'Neill
AddressCourtenay, BC, Canada
Organization
Date20040726
CategoryElectoral system change
Abstract
We should adopt an MMP system with closed lists. Using closed lists will help keep the system simple, and at the same time allow women and minority groups to achieve fairer representation in the legislature. [2 pages]

Submission Content
We need proportional representation in BC. The number of seats that a party holds in the legislature should match its proportion of the popular vote.

ACCURATE REPRESENTATION

Our society is diverse and complex, composed of many different people with many different ideas. Diversity is a strength, and under the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) system we are creating weak governments by not including minority (and in some cases even majority) viewpoints. Since all British Columbians are affected by the decisions of our government, I think that we should include as many viewpoints as possible in the decision-making process.

We should not fear minority governments or differences of opinion. It is natural for people to disagree. But better to have these disagreements within the legislature itself than on the lawn outside. If people do not feel they are represented by their government, the result is often mass protest (as be have seen several times in BC's history). It may take a little longer to pass legislation, but if parties are made to cooperate and actively debate issues, the achievements of government will in the end have greater permanence.

Critics of proportional representation sometimes argue that it leads to unstable minority governments, and claim that the current FPTP system leads to more stable majority governments. However, as we saw in the recent federal election, the FPTP system certainly doesn't prevent minority governments! And if we are going to have minority governments anyway, then they should accurately represent the voters. If our government (majority or minority) does not represent the views of the public, can we truly say that we are living in a democracy?

STRATEGIC VOTING

Strategic voting is a serious problem in our province. I find myself voting against candidates instead of for them, and I know many other people who are doing the same. We need a system where voters can be confident that a vote for the party of their choice -- the party that they truly identify with -- is not a "wasted vote". Politics in BC could be very different if people were free to vote according to their beliefs instead of their fears. Perhaps political campaigns would also be more positive if the system encouraged people to "vote for" instead of to "vote against".

VOTER APATHY

I am a young voter. Although I voted in the last election, many of my friends and peers did not. They feel disillusioned with politics. Many feel that their votes do not make a difference. Although proportional representation is certainly not the "be-all-end-all" solution to voter apathy, I believe it is one of the necessary elements in the solution.

LOCAL REPRESENTATION

It is questionable how well local representation really works in the FPTP system, since MLAs are often forced to vote along party lines regardless of what their constituents think. However, I believe that local representation is still important, especially in a world of increasing globalization, where local views are often lost. Local representation also ensures a certain amount of accountability. If voters are unhappy with what is occurring in their region, they have an avenue for recourse through there local MLA.

PROPOSED SYSTEM

In order to achieve proportional representation and maintain local representation, I believe we should adopt a mixed member proportional (MMP) system with closed lists. Using closed lists will help keep the system simple, and at the same time allow women, minorities, and other deserving leaders to achieve fairer representation in the legislature. Too often our politicians are chosen for their television personas instead of for their abilities as leaders.

The party vote should determine the overall number of seats that a party is entitled to in the legislature (as in New Zealand and Germany). The number of party seats must be large enough to make proportional representation possible: between one third and half of the seats should be party seats. We need proportional representation in BC, not just the appearance of it.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

The greatest challenge in the transition to a new electoral system may be educating the public. I have spoken with a number of people who have expressed reservations about proportional representation. In the end I have found that these reservations are often due to a lack of information. Once I explain a system such as MMP in its entirety, I find that people are usually quite enthusiastic.

Therefore I think that it is incredibly important, regardless of which system the Citizens' Assembly proposes, that a balanced education campaign be conducted. The public needs to be educated about the pros and cons of the two systems that they must choose between. Otherwise people may vote against proportional representation simply because they do not understand it.

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