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Submission VERNON-0821 (Online)

Submission By Philip Vernon
AddressSalt Spring Island, BC,
Organization
Date20040712
CategoryElectoral system change
Abstract
A Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system, which combines single member electoral districts with a party vote list system, is a better option than the current first past the post system. [2 pages]

Submission Content
I am writing to express my support for a Mixed Member Proportional [MMP] electoral system for British Columbia.

I have read with interest your Preliminary Statement to the People of BC and would like to thank the Citizens Assembly for taking your mandate so seriously and putting such effort into your deliberations.  As someone who has studied background information on different electoral systems I strongly support changing our current voting system. The problems inherent in our current system of "first past the post" outnumber the benefits. I have often been frustrated by having my vote not count, when I vote for a party that does not receive representation in the legislature.

A Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system, which combines single member electoral districts with a party vote list system, is a better option. By giving each voter two votes (1 for their local electoral district representative and the other for the political party of their choice) this system retains the important local representation of our current system while allowing greater proportional representation. MMP encourages fairness by ensuring that the number of votes a party receives relates directly to their number of seats.

I would like to see more women, more people of colour and a wider range of people from different social classes making up our legislature. Making public the party lists of candidates prior to elections will encourage greater gender, cultural and geographic diversity in all parties and promote governments that are more representative of BC's great diversity.

The current dramatic swings in policy from one government to the next lead to frustration, burnout and ultimately reduced levels of citizen involvement. A MMP system will lead to more effective governments: coalition governments that need to cooperate and negotiate, resulting in legislation that is more representative of wider interests and therefore more likely to last beyond the mandate of a single government. This in turn will facilitate more effective implementation of policy by civil servants.

Finally, a MMP electoral system will encourage young voters to be more interested and involved in the politics of this province. The thought of greater voter turnout and more involved citizens gives me hope for democracy in BC.

Please recommend changing BC's current electoral system to a Mixed Member Proportional system.

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