I urge the Citizen's Assembly to consider the Mixed Member
Proportional system of electing our MLAs as the best and most
practical alternative to the present system.
The most desirable attributes of an electoral system are
proportionality, the attribution of seats in a way that reflects
voters' preferences and plurality of opinions, and local
representation or accountability. This is really what one should
focus on when choosing an electoral system. Ease of use, simplicity
and ease of administration are also of value.
At first glance it would seem that the existing FPTP system of
voting in BC rates well in terms of local representation, but in
practice this entirely depends on the number of candidates running
in a riding, and the distribution of the votes amongst the
candidates. It is possible for the winner to be elected with a
small percentage of the votes, thereby leaving many of the voters
without representation. It is also well-known that, province-wide,
the FPTP system does a very poor job of attributing seats in
numbers that reflect the intention of the voters, and that a large
number of votes are usually wasted. The only real advantage of the
present system is its extreme simplicity, and a familiarity that
masks its defects.
Proportionality and local representation tend to work against each
other, in the sense that maximum local representation (one member
ridings) results in no proportionality, while maximum
proportionality (lists systems) may result in the complete absence
of local representation.
To achieve both local representation and proportionality requires a
mixed system of voting. The Law Commission of Canada has carefully
reviewed the various electoral systems and their applicability to
the Canadian situation. The Law Commission Report recommends a
Mixed Member Proportional System. This system has the advantage of
preserving as much as possible the familiarity and ease of use of
the present FPTP system, with its element of local representation,
something that would increase the comfort level of the electorate,
while adding a sufficient element of proportionality that is so
lacking in the present system.
Adoption of the MMP system would go a long way towards improving
the present situation, which is obviously not satisfactory. It may
also help in alleviating another serious problem of our Westminster
parliamentary system: the excessive power of the executive and the
weakness of the legislature, that is often not much more than a
rubber stamp.
Whether a given electoral system produces governments that are
stable or unstable is not really relevant. A stable government that
can stay in power for years is not necessarily a good thing if the
government works against the wishes of the majority of the
citizens, or fails to protect the weakest members of society,
surely a duty of a truly democratic government.
The present system is looking worse every day. It is time for a
change.
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