Any points that I could make have already been heard many times
by the Assembly. I wish to emphasize that we need a
change, not just for the sake of change, but rather for the many
citizens who feel that right now their vote never counts, and those
who feel there is no point in even voting.
Our current system may have been an improvement over previous
ones, but it is now long overdue for an update. My
younger son is so disenchanted with the current electoral system we
have in Canada and BC that he doesn’t even intend to
vote in the upcoming federal election. This is a young
man who is not apathetic—indeed, he is very involved in
social justice issues. My older son intends to vote,
but is fully aware that it is unlikely that his vote will
count. I hope that by the time my 16-year-old daughter
is able to vote, she will feel that where she places her X will
make a difference.
I am very pleased that we have been given this opportunity to
express our viewpoints. But I am disturbed when I look
out at a gathering such as this and note the predominant hair
colour (grey)—where are the young people?
Actually I do see a few and I wish that they were the ones making
these presentations.
Most of our MLA’s and MP’s continue to
be white, well-off, middle-aged males of Western European ancestry;
they supposedly represent a population of which more than half of
those of voting age are female, and a population which includes
many ethnic minorities, as well as First Nations
people. The reading I have done indicates that these
sectors are better represented under a Proportional Representation
system.
It seems to me that some form of Mixed Member Pro Rep
[MMP] would best serve the citizens of BC, and while I
don’t have the knowledge to go into detail, I feel it
is important to take advantage of this opportunity to echo many
other submissions to this effect. I believe that if we
want to create a socially just and sustainable society, we must try
another system so that alternative voices can be heard.
It has been mentioned earlier that no one ever said that an
electoral system should be fair to parties. I feel that
it should, however, be fair to voters.
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