News release - Merritt public hearing

Merritt joins the discussion

Merritt residents turned out for a lively, wide-ranging discussion Tuesday night.  Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform heard a supporter of proportionality explain her preferred system, while another participant challenged members to take full advantage of their opportunity to sway government by recommending policy changes.

Ava Dean told the hearing that after 40 years of voting she had come to the conclusion that the political preferences of voters are not reflected in BC’s legislature.  She criticized the current system for giving full political power to one party even though it may not even have the support of a majority of voters.  This, she said, can lead to “lame duck” oppositions who have so few seats that they are unable to hold the government to account. 

Dean proposed the introduction of a mixed electoral system which would incorporate an element of proportional representation (PR). Voters, she explained, would each cast two votes, one for a local candidate and one for a political party.  "PR of any kind,” she said, “would create a more effective and accountable government with greater responsiveness to the electorate."

Dean proposed that the majority of seats be allocated to local candidates, with the remaining seats allocated proportionally to parties.  While Dean acknowledged that ridings would need to be larger, she argued that this was preferable to increasing the number of MLAs. 

Hearing participants also discussed such issues and concerns as:
• The diminishing voice of rural British Columbians in the legislature
• How difficult it is for people in large ridings to have meaningful contact with their MLA
• The swings in public policy each time a new government comes to power
• The lack of local representation due to party discipline
• The growing number of voters who are not participating at the polls
• Adding a none-of-the-above option on the ballot
• Staggered elections
• Retaining fixed election dates
• Taking the Assembly process into schools and universities

Members of the Assembly were also encouraged to take full advantage of their report by making suggestions on a variety of topics, even though these may be outside the Assembly’s mandate.  One participant said, “I think the members of your Assembly have the best opportunity that British Columbians have ever had to influence government.  So I think you should include as many suggestions as possible… The suggestions you make as members of the Assembly are far more powerful than those of ordinary citizens.”

Hearings continue this week in the Interior – Lillooet (Wednesday), Kamloops (Thursday) and Williams Lake (Saturday).  Ganges, on Salt Spring Island, will also host a hearing next Saturday beginning at a new time – 12 noon.  A full schedule of hearings is on the Assembly’s website at www.citizensassembly.bc.ca.

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 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.