'Made in B.C.' solution

Speakers call for a "made in BC" solution

Several calls for a "unique, made in BC" voting system for provincial elections were among those suggested Tuesday night to members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform during a meeting in Richmond.

A total of 72 people packed the hearing – the second of 50 taking place throughout BC during May and June.

Of eight presentations made by members of the public, three urged the Assembly to consider a system unique to this province. What type of system they advocated differed in detail – although the majority favoured some form of proportional representation.

"You are the most important audience I have ever addressed," the first speaker, Nick Loenen, told the dozen Assembly members. "It is difficult to overstate the significance of your assignment."

Loenen suggested BC should adopt a mixed system of proportional, single transferable voting for the majority of electoral districts, while retaining the single member status in nine ridings in the Interior. He said it would be a "unique, made in BC" solution.

The second speaker, John Waller, agreed that BC should seek a unique system, but felt that Mixed Member Proportional Representation would "sell better in BC".

Another speaker, John Allen West, introduced the concept of allowing the electorate to vote for "none of the above" on a ballot paper if they did not want to support any of the candidates. In West’s scheme, voters who selected ‘none of the above’ would go into a pool from which one man and one woman would be randomly selected as MLAs.

A greater degree of consensual politics was also discussed. Speaker Neil Smith asked the audience: "What is wrong with a Parliament where we hear more debate … more discussion?" He also emphasized the important role of the Assembly. "It is unlikely we will get this opportunity again for a very long time."

The next public hearing is in Burnaby tonight (May 5) at the Holiday Inn Metrotown. That will be followed this week by hearings in New Westminster Thursday, Surrey/White Rock Saturday and Valemount, also Saturday.

The number of planned public hearings grew this week to 50 from 49. The extra meeting will be held in Vancouver on Saturday June 12. A full schedule of hearings, and information on how to sign up to make a presentation, is on the Assembly’s website at www.citizensassembly.bc.ca.

The Assembly is an independent, representative, non-partisan group of 160 randomly selected British Columbians. They must decide by December 15 whether to propose a change to B.C.’s electoral system. If they recommend a change, it will be the subject of a referendum for all voters in the May 2005 provincial election.