News release - Revelstoke public hearing

Electoral poll: demand for change

A straw poll conducted by a Salmon Arm nurse and two of her adult children shows the public wants a change in the electoral system in B.C., the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was told Tuesday.

Speaking at a public hearing in Revelstoke, Debra Ducharme said 72 young British Columbians of voting age were polled.

"Of 72, only 21 had voted. Seven of the 21 voted simply because a parent or parents escorted them to the polls and told them how to vote. Of the remaining 14, only eight felt their vote had counted.

"Of the 51 who had never voted, 29 said 'Why bother?', as their vote did not matter. Twenty-two listed a variety of reasons (for not voting)."

Ducharme and her children also polled 51 adults.

"Only 11 felt they had voted 'for' someone or some party. Forty stated that they had voted 'against' a party. Forty-three people voiced frustration with our current system and had felt frustrated through several elections."

An unscientific poll, she readily admitted, but concluded: "I think the results are very telling. British Columbians are ready for a change. . . . It is time for British Columbia to move to a system of voting that more accurately reflects the will of the people."

Ducharme's answer: a Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system (as used in New Zealand and some other countries) that is aimed at making each party's share of seats in the legislature reflect its share of the popular vote.

"It will restore voter confidence by making every vote count and allowing people to vote 'for' their choice. Statistics show that it will increase the representation of women and minorities in our government and create governments that are more balanced and consensus-based in their operation. Statistics also show it will increase voter turnout, particularly among young people."

Ducharme and Patricia Sieber of Revelstoke (who also argued for MMP) decried wild swings of policy as governments change under our current system.

Ducharme spoke of such swings in health care.

"Every change means huge expenditures that have nothing to do with patient care: new logos, new letterhead, new offices, new computer systems, centralized services, decentralized services. With every government change, we see major process change and more money to pay for change instead of frontline health care. There is no incentive for governments to work together in a collaborative way."

In the same vein, Sieber, a retired teacher, complained: "Each new government has sought to put their label on education. Often these governments have used the excuse that the public demands change and they have the wisdom in their caucus to make these changes.

"As a result, the front-line providers of education have found themselves buried under a barrage of nearly constant changes, so that as soon as they have adjusted to one set of rules and suggestions they must drop those and adjust to new guidelines."

It all comes, Sieber said, of an electoral system that grants power to parties that do not have broad-based support, and allows them then to "act as if they have been given the right to exercise absolute power."

MMP, she said, would mean a more balanced sharing of power, and encourage government by consensus.

"Perhaps this proposed electoral system would produce minority governments that would need to learn to share power and decision-making. Perhaps change would be slower. That would probably be a good thing, as it would force legislators to consider the wide-ranging effects of change rather than rushing to force their ideas through before their mandate expired."

Antoinette Halberstadt also endorsed MMP, but pleaded with Assembly members to protect rural B.C. in any change they propose.

"Don't further erode the voting power of rural B.C. Don't enlarge constituency boundaries. . . . It's almost impossible for any (rural) MLA to represent a constituency. It's impossible to get from one end of the constituency to the other and effectively represent the people."

Another public hearing, with a separate team of Assembly members, was held Tuesday night in Radium. Tonight (Wednesday) there are hearings in Penticton and Sparwood. On Thursday, Kelowna hosts the last of the Assembly's 50 public hearings.

Details of hearings are on the Assembly's website at www.citizensassembly.bc.ca. So is information on how to make a presentation at a hearing, or to send in a written submission.

The Citizens' 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.