News release

Citizens' Assembly welcomes new member

The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform has a new member today.

He is Brooke Bannister, 57, from the electoral district of Richmond-Steveston. He was picked by random selection to replace Gradin Tyler, a Richmond student who resigned for personal reasons.

Bannister is retired on disability (with post-polio syndrome). He was part owner of, and copywriter for, The Marketing Den advertising agency in Saskatoon, and came to B.C. 10 years ago.

He's a huge sports fan and movie buff. He is also, he adds, a political buff. "Being on the Assembly is the chance of a lifetime." He's married to federal civil servant Penny Anderson, who has two daughters

The Assembly has 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.