I have not voted for almost 20 years. I have only voted in the
1984 federal election and I voted then for a party and person who
supported proportional representation. I have been waiting for the
opportunity to vote for proportional representation. I registered
to vote symbolically on May 17, 2004 in preparation for the chance
to support this system coming into being in B.C. Without the
Citizens' Assembly and the possible referendum question, I would
have continued to boycott the current system as I find it offensive
and undemocratic. The British system has resulted in highly
undemocratic government of business and social elites and in B.C.,
it was designed deliberately to exclude at times the following
citizens: Women, Native peoples, Chinese, Japanese, East Indians,
Mennonites and Doukhobours.
Proportional Representational System
I support a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system.
In my opinion, the best option being considered is the Mixed Member
Proportional (MMP) system as outlined on Page 3 of the Free Your
Vote - Pro Rep Society's Spring 2004 flyer entitled 'Hope for
Democracy in BC'. It suggests:
-
Keeping 79 MLA with 2/3 being constituency seats and 1/3 being
party lists seats. That would mean 53 constituency seats and 26
party lists seats.
-
Require political parties to run candidates in at least 50% of
the constituency seats in order to qualify for lists seats.
-
Require political parties by law to select list candidates in a
democratic way that grant every party member a say.
-
A flexible list system where a voter can choose to accept the
list as ranked or choose one candidate to be placed at the top of
the list (as recommended by the Law Commission of Canada for
Federal electoral reform).
I would disagree with point one in one aspect. I believe that
the number of MLAs should double to 160. Thus there would be two
MLAs in 53 constituency seats and 52 party lists seats. The pay for
MLAs would be cut in half to accommodate this. Then by law half the
candidates for the 53 constituency seats and 26 party lists seats
would be Women thus making B.C. the first province to be governed
in gender equality. Also a minimum of 10 % of the seats (16) would
be reserved for Native people.
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