News release - Sparwood public hearing

Electoral views voiced in East Kootenays

 

The East Kootenays may not be heavily populated but residents’ views on electoral reform seem to range the length and breadth of the electoral system spectrum.

Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform heard participants at Wednesday evenings’ public hearing in Sparwood speak in favor of virtually every major type of electoral system.  One thing every participant had in common, however, was the desire for change.

 

Joan Halverson, of Sparwood and a representative of the BC Nurses Union, spoke in support of proportionality in the electoral system.  “I believe that a change to a form of proportional representation would allow for everyone’s vote to count,” she said. 

 

Specifically, she advocated a mixed system in which voters would each have two votes, one for a riding representative and one for a party.  So, some MLAs would be elected from enlarged electoral districts and the remainder would be appointed from lists of party representatives in proportion to each party’s share of the vote.

Michael Clark, of Fernie, also advocated making the electoral system more proportional – but only marginally.  He argued for incremental change – an evolution rather than a revolution. 

 

Clark offered the Assembly “eight very small changes” to the current system.  The effect of these changes would be to give recognition and resources to parties achieving five per cent or more of the popular vote, but winning no constituency seats.  Each of these parties would be granted seats for their two most successful candidates.  Further, parties represented in the legislature would be allocated budget, office space, staff and time in question period in direct proportion to their share of the popular vote.

 

John Katrichak, of Sparwood, did not share the desire for greater proportionality.  He saw proportional representation as a “party thing” and told the Assembly that he liked what we have now, but wanted his MLA to act in the interest of the constituency, rather than be forced by party discipline to vote the party line. 

Another participant encouraged the Assembly to consider a form of the majority system where voters rank the candidates on the ballot and candidates must achieve at least 50 per cent support within a constituency to win.  Yet another spoke in favour of the single transferable vote system, a type of proportional system that also allows voters to rank candidates on the ballot.

 

While Jessica Sommerfeld, a 16-year-old Sparwood resident, did not express a preference for any particular electoral system, she did tell the Assembly that she would like to see the voting age lowered to 16.  “People my age are beginning to have opinions and we don’t have a chance to express them,” she stated.  Sommerfeld also suggested that schools should provide more focus on the political system.

The 50th and final Citizens’ Assembly hearing is slated for Kelowna tomorrow, Thursday.  A full schedule of public hearings held over the last two months is available on the Assembly's website at