Thank you for creating the opportunity to express my opinion and
therefore add to the process of chosing a hopefully better voting
system in BC.
My preference is a proportional representation
[PR] voting system. I grew up with this system in the
Netherlands so can best compare that system with the one we have so
far in BC. The following are my observations and conclusions:
In BC we basicly have a win-lose system. This is discouriging
for voters because it discounts and therefore wastes many votes. It
creates a tendency to vote for who one thinks the winner will be or
to vote in order to keep a certain party out. This is mostly a
negative vote and does not lead to much satisfaction. This system
is undemocratic. It is competitive, dismissive and
disrespectful.
A proportional representation system allows voters to vote for
their conviction, to vote in support of that party which comes
closest to their values and vision of the kind of society they
want. This system recognizes each vote and therefore is more
democratic. It is a positive vote, creating a very different
mentality than what we have now. Voters feel more involved. It
matters how they vote. Their vote is reflected in the
kind of government there will be as a result of voting. Voters end
up with a much greater sense of satisfaction and a stronger
motivation to take part in voting.
In the government itself it also will create a different
mentality, namely with a greater number of parties the members of
parlement have to learn to cooperate with each other. There too it
will no longer be one against the other, winners against losers; it
will be more conducive to a more reflective and more inclusive way
of making decisions.
I know that there are a variety of ways of having proportional
representation and I assume that you have looked into the different
models used in other countries. In case you are not familiar with
the way it is used in the Netherlands allow me to give you a broad
outline: a party can be an official party once they
have received a certain number of votes. Each party, with
involvement of their members, make up a list of names of candidates
in order of preference. Generally speaking voters vote for the
party rather than the person. The party needs so many votes to get
a candidate elected, so the more votes the party gets the more
candidates will be elected, going down the list. However, one can
indicate a preference vote for a particular candidate on the list.
If that candidate gets a certain amount of votes she/he will be
elected even if that candidate is lower on the list.
Thank you for your attention. May you come to a choice of a voting
system which is most democratic, most inclusive and
most respectful of the citizens of BC.
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