News release

Citizens’ Assembly weighs key questions

Members of B.C.'s Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform are back in their home communities today with some key questions ringing in their ears:

These questions, and many more, will be explored more deeply as the 160 Assembly members return to Vancouver January 24-25 for the second of six "learning phase" weekends in which they are studying electoral systems from around the world.

The Assembly's first session was held in Vancouver on the weekend with 158 of the 160 present (one absent because of a family emergency and another because birth of her baby was imminent).

"Just a terrific opening weekend," said Assembly chair Jack Blaney. "The enthusiasm and energy of the members was simply overwhelming."

They will decide in the fall if they should propose a change to B.C.’s current system of translating votes into seats in the Legislature. If they 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.

Members gave the weekend rave reviews, and one observed: "I did some homework. I read advance material. I looked at some of the websites listed on the Assembly's website. I thought I was beginning to grasp it all. Then Ken Carty stood up and started posing questions, and I realized how much I will have to do to understand the various electoral systems, and what they might look like if they were used in B.C."

Carty is director of research for the Assembly, and leader of the educational program in which Assembly members are learning about electoral systems.

The January 24-25 sessions will be at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at 580 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver. They are open to the public, but space is limited and pre-registration is recommended. You can do that by way of the Assembly website at www.citizensassembly.bc.ca

The Assembly's 160 members come from all over B.C. – one man and one woman from each of the 79 provincial electoral districts, plus two Aboriginal members.