Submission BUTT-1592 (Online)

I support some type of proportional representation [PR], but where the MLAs continue to be responsible to us, the voters, between elections. [2 pages]

I'd like to thank the members of the Citizens' Assembly for their efforts in this process. I am also extremely thankful that I live in a country that allows this level of personal expression and contribution to our political process.

I have read through a great number of the contributions to this panel, and am concerned by the many parrotted comments I have read. As such I will at least try to insert some originality into this submission.

I am unhappy with our current electoral system of FPTP, which I believe works best in a two party system. I would therefore support some type of proportional representation [PR], but where the MLAs continue to be responsible to us, the voter, between elections. One method to illustrate this idea is to compare it to a corporation, or better a co-operative. Consider each vote a share in the province. Each individual can use his or her share in a number of ways. They vote in regular elections to select 79 MLAs. They can use it to participate in referenda to cause the MLAs elected at the last election to take certain actions. Occasional referenda gives direct, but limited input into the governance process, as a referendum would have limited scope.

Between elections the citizen can proxy his or her ballot to any of the 79 MLAs. This proxy can be transferred to any other MLA at any time, or at certain periods (say before each session of the legislature), by written notice to the Legislature. This would allow the electorate to effectively direct the governance of the province by giving their proxy to the MLA who best supports their interests. If an individual continues to be satisfied with the parlimentary position of their MLA, then they need do nothing until the next general election. If however, they become dissatisfied with the position of their MLA, or if they feel that their MLA changes views, or no longer holds the citizen's views, the proxy can be transferred. This also allows the citizen who changes their position on a political matter over time to effect an appropriate change.

Each MLA votes his or her block of voters.

By this process, or something similar, I believe that a truer democracy would result, and MLAs would be more responsible to their, non-geographic constituency.

Further to this, we have to find a way to elect the best people to our legislature. Our current sturcture requires that an individual be independently wealthy to enter provincial politics. The stipend that we pay our politicians for the time and energy the must expend is ridiculously low. If recollection serves, the Premier earns far less than the CEO of Provincial Crown Corporations, or Health Authorities. Our MLAs are paid at a rate commensurate with middle managers, yet we entrust them with, and expect them to properly manage, an enterprise with the size and wealth of the Province of British Columbia. Although this is not part of the Citizens' Assembly's mandate, it is a necessary part of the reform of our electoral system, if we as electors expect the best to offer themselves for public office.