News release - Nanaimo hearing

More voices in government, more choices for voters

If Thursday’s public hearing was any indications, the people of Nanaimo want a greater diversity of views represented in government and a broader range of choices on the ballot for voters.  However, proposals varied widely on how those objectives could be achieved and many incorporated innovative twists.

“I put on my best denim for this,” said Robert Baker before proposing the Assembly retain BC’s current, first-past-the-post electoral system – but with the added feature of giving voters both a “yes” vote and a “no” vote.  Candidates’ “no” votes would be subtracted from their “yes” votes to determine their tally.  This he felt would encourage MLAs to keep their promises and pay more attention to their constituents.

“Democracy is about including more voices in the processes of government,” stated David Dunaway.  He proposed BC adopt a type of mixed electoral system which gives voters expanded choice by allowing them to vote for both a constituency candidate – by ranking the options on the ballot – and for a party candidate – by selecting a candidate from the party list.  In addition, his system allowed dissatisfied voters to register their unhappiness by selecting a “none of the above” option.

“I have become convinced that extended voter choice is as important as broad proportionality,” Julian West told the Assembly. He then proceeded to set out a system of proportional representation by the single transferable vote which also allows voters to rank order their preferences on the ballot. 

West’s system included electoral districts based on BC’s existing Regional Districts, with varying numbers of candidates elected in each district, depending on the district’s population. These districts would be subdivided into “circuits” so each representative could be assigned a constituency. 

West went on to propose a permanent, non-partisan “democratic commission” which would be responsible for the health of the democratic process and would hold parties accountable.

Advocating a similar system, Grade 11 student Stephen McCarthy suggesting enlarging electoral districts and having multiple representatives elected in each based on the proportion of the vote each party received in that district.

Katherine Gordon, a long-time New Zealand resident and newly minted Canadian citizen, reviewed the Kiwi model of the mixed member proportional (MMP) system for Assembly members.  She said that, each time she cast her two votes under the MMP system, “I voted for a different party than the MP represented.”  Under MMP, she said, “Debate is a great deal more extensive.  There is more flexibility between parties to negotiate sound compromises.”

Jim Erkiletian and Janette Briere sang the praises of MMP, literally.  Their contention was that MMP would result in a legislature which better reflected the multicultural character of our province.

Federal Green Party candidate David Wright, in addition to advocating MMP, suggested a series of reforms:
• Legislation to hold majority governments accountable for keeping  their campaign promises
• A second round of public hearings after the Citizens’ Assembly issues its recommendation of an electoral system
• Including party symbols on the ballot paper to assist illiterate citizens

The next public hearing is in Vancouver on Saturday (May 29).  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 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 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.