FAQ: Impacts on Government

Will BC-STV lead to unstable minority or coalition governments? 
BC-STV can produce majority or minority governments – depending on the will of the voters. The Assembly believes that minority and coalition governments can in practice be a strength, because they encourage MLAs to work together. Germany, one of the more successful democracies in the world, has had only one single-party majority government since 1949.

Will BC-STV be more expensive?
The cost of elections should remain in the same ballpark. As for the cost of government, it’s not the electoral system that sets a provincial budget; the elected politicians do that. Some people say that coalition governments may tend to spend more than majority governments, but there is no definitive evidence one way or the other on that. Either way, it’s up to your elected representatives, and their election is driven by the voter. We believe that because BC-STV governments are more proportional, their spending will more accurately reflect the will of citizens. 

Who would be the Premier under this system?
Under both the current system and the STV system, an MLA is asked by the Leiutenant Governor to form a government and, if he or she is successful in doing this, the MLA is appointed Premier.  This MLA could be the leader of the party with the most MLAs, as is current practice, or could be a person who will best lead a coalition. 

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