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Newsletter - #1330th June, 2004 :
Vancouver (Internal)
Public hearings
The final Citizens’ Assembly public hearing was held
June 24th in Kelowna. During the 50 hearings, a total
of 387 people made oral presentations, and many more members of the
public made informal presentations, offered recommendations and
comments, and asked questions at the sessions.
More than 2,700 members of the public attended hearings
– including 50 in Smithers on the same night as the
final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs!
Summaries of all presentations are on our website at
www.citizensassembly.bc.ca/public/extra/presentationsummaries.xml
Calls for change
The most commonly heard call for change was for some form of
proportional representation (PR), in which the seats won in the
legislature would more closely reflect the parties' share of the
popular vote, either across BC as a whole or in regions.
Many who favoured PR, called for a form of mixed member
proportional (MMP) representation. In MMP, some MLAs would be
elected from geographical constituencies, while others would be
selected from pre-published "party lists" of candidate names, to
achieve the goal of seat-shares reflecting
vote-shares.
While many presenters and speakers supported the principle of
PR, there were often calls for restrictive "thresholds", ranging
from 2 to 10 per cent of the vote. A party would be required to
achieve the threshold level of the popular vote before being
granted “list” seats. While thresholds
limit proportionality, proponents argue that they exclude fringe
parties.
Members also heard a number of detailed proposals for achieving
PR through the use of the single transferable vote (STV), in which
voters use the preferential ballots to rank their choice of
candidates.
Some tempered calls for PR systems with pleas that already large
rural ridings not be further expanded to accommodate a new
electoral system. Rural speakers in particular often added that
having an identifiable "local" MLA is important to them.
Non-proportional electoral systems also received
support. Some presenters advocated forms of the
majority system in which MLAs must be elected by over 50 per cent
of their constituents. The 50 per cent majority is
achieved
either using the preferential ballot (also called the
alternative vote) or run-off elections.
In addition, there were proposals for 'none of the above'
options on ballots, yes-no votes, and more.
Support for status quo
Assembly members anticipated that, by the very nature of the
exercise, advocates of change at hearings would outnumber those
proposing BC retain its current first past the post (FPTP)
electoral process.
However, a number of presenters and audience members did speak
in favour of retaining the current plurality system.
Many pointed to what they saw as failures of PR systems, including
minority and coalition governments that they described as unstable,
ineffective and costly.
Pro-PR presenters, however, proposed that minority and coalition
governments would change politics for the better. They contended
that changing to PR systems would improve cooperation, harmony and
consensus-making in the legislature. And many saw MMP systems as
likely to improve representation of under-represented groups and
interests, and to improve voter turnout.
Critique of BC politics
Many speakers took the opportunity at public hearings to also
criticize various aspects of BC politics.
They decried such things as party discipline and control over
MLAs, campaign financing, adversarial party politics, adversarial
behaviour in the legislature, the under-representation of women and
minority groups, the role of political parties, broken political
promises, and the systems parties use to nominate election
candidates.
Some called for the voting age to be lowered, in the hopes of
engaging young people. A handful argued for voting to be made
compulsory, with a fine for evasion; a few proposed, instead, that
turnout be encouraged by giving voters tax credits.
Some called for direct popular election of the premier and/or
cabinet ministers, or election of these officials by the
legislature as a whole, and some proposed weighted votes for MLAs
in the legislature. Some called for limited terms of office for
MLAs, and some for mid-term elections. A few called for BC to have
a second chamber or senate. A handful called for random selection
of MLAs.
Many of these issues are outside the mandate of the Citizens'
Assembly.
The assembly and the future
Many speakers praised the Assembly and its work, and expressed
confidence in the members. But some were concerned with the limited
mandate of the Assembly: translating votes into seats in the
legislature.
And many expressed concern about what happens in December after
the Assembly makes its final report and is disbanded.
• If the Assembly does recommend change, what would happen between then and the resulting referendum on May 17, 2005? • Would there be a public education program? • What would a referendum question look like? • Could the Assembly’s recommendation succeed with 60 per cent voter support required in a referendum? Assembly members are contemplating these concerns as well.
News release: June 27
The following is excerpted from the news release issued
following the Assembly’s meetings in Prince George the
weekend of June 26-27.
Assembly eyes October decision
Members of the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral
Reform were urged Sunday to think about a late-October target date
for reaching a decision on whether they think BC should have a new
electoral system.
Meeting in Prince George, the 160-member Assembly wrapped up six
months dedicated to investigating electoral options and British
Columbians' views on them.
They also voted to keep open to the public and the news media
all plenary meetings in their deliberations to be held in Vancouver
in September, October and November.
"We'll need to focus," advised Assembly chair Jack Blaney. "If
we are going to recommend a change, we should know that by Weekend
Four (October 23-24) so that we can then begin working on the
wording of a referendum question."
Assembly members now face a summer of reading – our
website now boasts over 700 submissions (with 200 or so yet to be
processed) and summaries of 387 presentations.
The Assembly set a date of August 13 for receiving further
written submissions. Submissions received before then will be
processed and available to members before they begin deliberations
in September. Submissions received after this date will
be processed but members do not guarantee they will be reviewed by
the fall.
When members get together again September 11, they'll begin with
a day of presentations to the full Assembly by a number of groups
and individuals. Then members will begin to wrestle with such
questions as:
• What values ought to underpin our
electoral system?
• Does the Assembly wish to consider changes to B.C.'s current electoral system? If so, key questions could include:
• Do we want some measure of
proportionality?
• Do we want some measure of local representation in any new system? What about regional differences? • Do we want different kinds of choices on our ballots? • Is there some other fundamental aspect of the electoral system we ought to consider? • What systems would accommodate our responses to the above questions? • Which one of these different systems would best serve British Columbia? • Do we clearly prefer an alternative system to our present SMP system? Considering the strengths and weaknesses of both systems, do we recommend that our current system be retained? Or do we recommend a new system? A sixth weekend of meetings could be held November 27-28 if
needed, but the final report and recommendation must be in by
December 15. Jack Blaney confirmed Sunday that the
Assembly office will close and staff will disband by December
31.
Details of the fall meeting dates are on the Assembly's website
at www.citizensassembly.bc.ca. So are summaries of the
presentations made by groups and individuals at the public
hearings.
Making British Columbians’ views
known
Presentation summaries from the hearings are now posted to our
website. We also have 700+ submissions posted on the website and
another 200 or so being processed. You can add your
views by providing your submission via our website, e-mailing it to
submission@ citizensassembly.bc.ca or mailing it to our office.
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