News release

Citizens' Assembly welcomes new member

The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform welcomes a new member today, replacing one who had withdrawn.

The new member is Rosemary Vanderbilt, 41, of Victoria, from the Saanich South electoral district. She replaces Sarah Burwell of Saanich, who was selected on Oct. 23, but has withdrawn because of an impending move to Toronto.

Vanderbilt will be a first-time mom in January. She is a chartered accountant and comptroller of PRT, a company that grows forest seedlings in nurseries across Canada and the U.S. She and her husband enjoy camping and the outdoors.

By Dec. 22, the Assembly will have 160 members from all over B.C. – one man and one woman from each of the 79 provincial electoral districts plus two Aboriginal members.

The Assembly members 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.