News release - Coquitlam public hearing

“We’re making history right now”

Marveling at the historic importance of the Citizens’ Assembly process, speakers at Tuesday’s public hearing on electoral reform in Coquitlam debated ideas for improving BC’s political and electoral systems. 

All agreed change was needed, most favoured more proportionality in our electoral system.  Many offered proposals for holding governments and MLAs more accountable.  Others proposed ways of increasing voter choice and having more voices and more ideas participate in public debate.

“This Citizens’ Assembly is a fantastic opportunity to begin restoring public participation in our democracy,” said Greg Watrich.  Watrich’s idea of annual partial elections seemed to catch hearing participants’ imaginations and generated considerable discussion.  When ballots are counted, he said, is a pivotal consideration in any electoral system.  “The only way to break the four year cycle of abuse is to hold annual general elections” with 25 per cent of MLAs elected each year on a rotating basis.  This, he argued, would force constant accountability and moderate policy swings. 

Expressing his excitement at the opportunity to present to the Assembly, Stephen Broscoe said, “I’ve been working for this for over five years.”  He argued for a more proportional electoral system that would generate a broader range of views in the legislature as well as offer voters greater choice than simply placing an “x” on a ballot paper. 

Broscoe supported a single transferable vote (STV) system that allowed geographic representation for rural areas.  However, he did feel a mixed member proportional (MMP) system would work in BC if the seats in the legislature were increased to 100 from the current 79.

Elementary teacher Aaron Rahn told Assembly members they had been “handed the keys to a great door.”  Like Broscoe, he bemoaned the lack of “real dialogue and exchange of ideas” in government.  “The sole duty of the government,” he stated, “should be to serve their citizens; yet we have a system which allows governments to serve themselves.”  Rahn’s solution was to eradicate political parties and institute participatory democracy.

Karl Maier also addressed political parties saying, “…the most important thing about the voting system is that it affects how parties behave.”   MMP, he said, would encourage more, distinctive parties, representing clear choices for voters. 

Like Maier, Drew Carmichael, Brenda Flynn and Korky Day all supported MMP. 

Carmichael said that MMP was the best choice for BC because it’s simple, would allow more representation of women and minorities and would make voters feel their votes counted.  A firm supporter of political parties, he argued for closed lists, meaning voters would simply vote for parties and the parties would determine who was elected.

Flynn, a nurse who lives and works in the Tri-Cities, felt voter apathy was due to people feeling their votes don’t count under the current system.  A more proportional system, she said, would increase voter participation especially among young voters.

While Ken Panton did not recommend an electoral system, he did ask the Assembly to consider systems which result in more representative governments, higher voter turnout, greater voter equality and people voting ‘for’ rather than ‘against’ issues and politicians.

Panton’s concern was echoed by Helmut Schmidt who said he was surprised to find, in 1954 when he emigrated, that Canadians vote against things rather that in support of what they believe in.  But Schmidt was enthused by the potential of the Assembly process.  “We’re making history right now,” he said, “It’s a great historic moment.”

The next hearing will be Wednesday (June 2) in North Vancouver at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel, starting at 6:30pm.  Other hearings this week are in:
- Whistler, June 3
- Abbotsford, June 5
- Sechelt, June 5