News release - Port Alberni public hearing

No consensus in Port Alberni

Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform heard presentations at a well-attended public hearing in Port Alberni Wednesday night arguing for and against proportional representation.  And other speakers took the middle ground, suggesting only minimal doses of proportionality.

Glenn Cooper, of French Creek, reflected on his experience living in countries around the world,  including the emerging Czech democracy, and concluded that a modest amount of proportionality – 20 per cent of the Legislature – would be optimal.  He felt that the plurality system should remain the foundation of BC’s electoral system. ”Canada,” he said, “is in for a period of rapid change” and would not be well served by unstable coalition governments, which he likened to “having a committee debating … on the bridge of the Titanic…”

Joyce Currie offered a similar approach, adding a small dose of proportionality to our existing system.  She suggesting adding 10 MLAs, elected by single transferable vote (STV), to represent specific regions of the province.

Nelson Allen of Nanaimo spoke in opposition to proportional representation, citing the proliferation of parties, inevitable minority governments, and “elite leadership, in secret, form(ing) coalition governments based on party and personal agendas…”  He stated that “having two main political parties in BC clearly represents out political culture.”

Alexander Miller took the opposite position, favouring proportional representation because it would result in “decision-making that arises from reasoned discussion…  Instead of sober, considered exploration of issues and consequences, the current system promotes artificial polarization and oversimplification by politicians … It contributes to the dumbing-down of the country.”

“Unfortunately in BC more and more citizens are just tuning out of politics,” lamented federal electoral candidate Scott Fraser of Tofino.  Proportional representation, he asserted, would increase voter turn-out.  While he acknowledged the difficulties of campaigning in large constituencies, he did not see enlarging ridings further to accommodate proportional representation to present an insurmountable challenge.

One participant stated that he supported proportional representation, but with reservations.  He foresaw two potential nightmare scenarios:  First, that fringe parties could end up holding the balance of power in coalition governments; and, second, that it could take months to form governments as parties negotiated to form coalitions following elections.

The next public hearings are in Victoria on Thursday (June 10) and Vancouver and the Queen Charlottes on Saturday (June 12).  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.