News release

Citizens' Assembly gets new member

The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform selected a new member today, replacing one who had withdrawn.

The new member is Deborah Ann Young, 49, from Lone Butte BC, in the Cariboo South electoral district. She replaces Alice Crosson, 80, of Clinton, who was selected on Oct. 16, but withdrew for personal reasons.

Young is self-employed in the tourist industry, and is on the board of the Cariboo Tourism Association. She is a past president of the Interlake Tourism Association, and a winner of the Tourism Presidents Award.

By Nov. 25, the Assembly will have 158 members from all over B.C. – one man and one woman from each of the 79 provincial electoral districts.

The Assembly will spend much of 2004 examining electoral systems in use around the world, and will decide if they should propose a change to B.C.’s current system of translating votes into seats in the Legislature.

If the Assembly members recommend a change, it will be the subject of a referendum for all voters in the 2005 provincial election. Any change approved by the voters would take effect with the 2009 B.C. election.