News release - Nelson public hearing

Lively discussions focus on change

Drawing on the past to bolster their vision for change, British Columbians in Nelson spoke out in favour of reform to the provinces’ electoral system.

More than 90 people attended a lively hearing hosted by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform on Tuesday night.  Thirteen speakers told Assembly members what they valued; and, overwhelmingly, the viewpoint was that change in some form was needed.

Troy Lanigan, who traveled from Victoria, said the current system created three major problems: excessive party discipline, excessive concentration of power and weak local representation.  He advocated a mixed proportional electoral system using single transferable voting (STV) in urban ridings and a single member alternative voting (AV) structure for rural ridings.  He said STV/AV would waste “fewer votes, giving voters more choice and providing stable government.”

“Does democracy need party politics?” asked Tom Prior, a Nelson resident and advocate of greater proportionality.  “I agree with Aristotle,” Prior said in his brief review of the history of democracy.  “He believed democracy was the least evil form of government.”

Colleen McCrory, of Silverton, said that a mixed member proportional (MMP) system would energize youth.  “We get to vote and express ourselves and we have incredible freedom, but there is real frustration out there, in particular with young people.”

John Alton, of Nelson, also favoured MMP.  “The current system has failed to give representation to those who are concerned about the environment.”

Donald Scarlett, of Kaslo, felt MMP would help address a number of issues, including his perception that “rural and regional representation has tended to be weak in the past.”

Praising the Assembly, Clayton Knapp of Creston said the time has come for change.  “Huge majority governments seem to become detached from their voters because there is no effective opposition.”

Patricia Lakes, president of the Nelson Creston NDP Constituency Association, said “The system has to represent as many walks of life as possible.” 

“It is only when people feel their votes make a difference that they are motivated to participate,” added Joyce MacDonald of Nelson.

New Denver village mayor Gary Wright said his council passed a resolution Monday night supporting electoral reform based on the “twin principles of proportionality and local representation.”  He said the village council urged the Assembly to propose MMP.  In response, Assembly member Tanis Dagert congratulated the mayor and council for engaging in the process.

Nelson registered nurse Colleen Driscoll said the “current first-past-the-post electoral system has been rejected by major democracies and is contributing to a sense of alienation” amongst voters.

The next Citizens’ Assembly public hearings are in Fort St. John on Wednesday (May 12), Dawson Creek on Thursday (May 13) and Ucluelet, Powell River and Victoria/Sidney all on Saturday (May 15).

A full schedule of hearings – as well as information on how to sign up to make a presentation – is on the Assembly’s website at 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 BC’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.