THE NEED FOR CHANGE
I wish to express my dissatisfaction with our current electoral
system, which I believe is outmoded and undemocratic. Its two-party
system does not represent the diversity present in B.C. society.
The first-past-the-post, or single member plurality system (SMP)
often creates a skewed picture of the electorate. If you don't vote
for the winning candidate, your vote is wasted; it simply doesn't
count or lead to any representation in the legislature. This
distortion leads to the silencing of many citizens' voices, and is,
I believe, one of the causes of voter decline.
False majorities are created as well as a weak, underrepresented
opposition. The winning party emerges with excessive power, and can
ram legislation through without adequate discussion or forethought.
There are often no checks and balances to discourage such abuses of
power. This system can also create big swings from election to
election, causing legislation to be short-lived, policy planning
transient, and governing unnecessarily unstable. In false majority
governments, MLA's are often required to put party interests above
the wishes of their constituents. An example of this is how Salt
Spring Island was recently forced to have a salmon farm on their
shoreline, completely against the wishes of the local community.
This has also been true with logging interests.
MY PROPOSAL
I want a legislative assembly that accurately reflects the
social/political composition and wishes of the electorate. I
propose a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system combining single
member electoral districts with a party vote list system to enhance
proportional representation. Each voter would have two votes, one
for their local district representative, and for the political
party of their choice. I would recommend a ratio of two-thirds
constituency seats, to one-third party list seats to ensure rural
ridings do not become unduly underrepresented. I would also suggest
a 5% threshold of total votes for parties to qualify for
legislative representation.
I believe this system combines the advantages of our current one,
with the benefits of proportionality. MMP would go a long way
toward remedying the flaws of SMP, increasing the representation of
other voices, and honouring diversity. It also has a better
reputation for having higher proportions of women and minorities. I
believe ending one-party, majority government deadlocks would make
politics less adversarial. Although honouring different opinions
and beliefs can be challenging, it is genuinely worthwhile, and
ultimately the cornerstone of democratic process. A more
proportional government could lead to a richer dialogue where MLA's
are forced to debate issues more thoroughly and negotiate with each
other in good faith. It would also restore strong opposition
parties to the legislature, which I believe is vital to
democracy.
Some people seem worried that a more proportional system will
produce coalition governments, which they feel are somehow
unstable. I think the reverse is true. Coalitions/ minority
governments are often more stable and can produce long-term,
visionary legislation. For example, both universal health care and
the Canada Pension Plan came out of minority governments. Their
policies are also more likely to have a broader base of support,
creating both stability and authenticity.
I would also like to support the following ideas put forward by
others to the Assembly:
-
Pre-registering Grade 12 students to the electoral list (to
encourage youth to vote).
-
Legislation to hold majority governments accountable for their
campaign promises (to curb the routine dishonesty we see all too
often).
-
Including party symbols on the ballot paper to assist illiterate
citizens in voting.
Lastly, may I say that the Citizens' Assembly is a wonderful
breath of fresh air, true people-power in action. I'm thrilled and
encouraged by your historic mandate and potential. A heartfelt
thank you to all Assembly members, staff, and Chair Jack Blaney.
You are renewing the democratic process. Thank you for your time,
commitment and vision. Your work is profoundly honorable.
SUMMARY
I believe our current plurality system does not reflect the
diversity present in B.C. society. Many people's votes do not lead
to representation in the legislature. Often, false majorities are
created with a weak, underrepresented opposition. This system can
create large swings from election to election, causing legislation
to be short-lived, and governing as a whole, unstable. I propose
using an Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system to increase
proportionality, provide a healthier opposition, and increase the
opportunities for more dialogue and negotiation between parties.
I'm recommending a ratio of 2/3 constituency seats to 1/3 party
list seats, with a 5% threshold for parties to qualify.