I would like to see our electoral system change to a system of
Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP). This system is the
only one specifically designed to directly translate voter wishes
into a party's share of seats in the legislature. The benefits of
this system include:
- Allowing people to vote FOR a party that
represents their values, rather than against a party that they are
angry with.
- Allowing citizens to vote for an
individual that may be different than their party of choice
because, as a local representative the individual has the voters'
trust.
BC is a diverse society, and a proportional system ensures that all
viewpoints are included in our legislature. A more diverse
legislature will force parties to cooperate on designing
legislation, this will give a long term stability to policy that is
lacking now. From one election to another, as different ideologies
take control, past laws are repealed and new ones put in. If all
parties have input on legislation and buy in to the results, then a
change in government will not result in the chaos of extreme
changes in policy.
MMP allows for party votes, and party lists -- individuals that
will get into the legislature if their party has enough of the
popular vote. This list must be regionally, and ethnically diverse,
it must be balanced between females and males, and across age
ranges if it is going to be acceptable to a broad spectrum of
voters. If the list does not address these issues, the voters will
not support it.
MMP can also provide more representation for rural communities via
the party list. This is a very important feature because rural BC
is what allows for the large urban centres of BC to exist as they
do. Our current system does not recognize the regional impact of
policy decisions that are overwhelmingly determined by urban
representation.
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