I support a mixed member proportional [MMP] electoral system for
British Columbia. The current system clearly fails to provide
proportionality it results in a lot of people feeling that their
votes have been wasted. A well-designed MMP system could remedy
this.
I would argue for MMP over Single Transferable Vote [STV]. In my
view, STV systems are problematic for a few important reasons.
First, they are very complex, in terms of both how votes are cast
and how votes are counted. Second, because of the complexity, there
would have to be a greater waiting period before people know who
was elected. Also, with greater complexity comes a greater
possibility of human error in the counting process. Third, STV
doesn't necessarily allow for greater proportional representation,
which is a big problem in B.C.
Our last provincial election is a great example of the need for
better proportional representation in our electoral system. With
only 58% of the popular vote, the B.C. Liberal Party took 97% of
the seats. With 22% of the vote, the NDP took only 3% of the seats.
The Green Party, which had a little more than 12% of the popular
vote, won no seats at all. These numbers, which came from the
Elections BC website, clearly show that the choices of British
Columbians are not being represented. The votes of just about
everyone who didn't vote Liberal were wasted they didn't translate
to representation in the legislature. How can we call this a
representative democracy if our votes aren't represented in
government?
An MMP system can't solve all the problems associated with
elections, but it can give people a voice. It can increase minority
representation. It can make sure that when British Columbians vote,
their voices are heard and listened to.
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