Publication: Prince George Free Press
Title: We Say
Date: May 3, 2006
Note: an edited version of the same editorial appears in the May 5 Langley Times
For the article, click here.
Let’s review: The province-wide referendum in 2005’s provincial election on the Single Transferable Vote system failed.
That’s not to say that it didn’t have widespread popularity, indeed the proposal nearly met the criteria required to be made law. To pass it needed 60 per cent of the vote across the province and a clear majority in each electoral area. Results showed 58 per cent support across the province. But still, it failed.
Many proponents of electoral reform decried the result, citing a standard for success set way too high. Even the Premier, who had struck the Citizens Assembly to examine electoral reform, saw the public had spoken and pledged to continue on the path to revamping the current first-past-the-post-system. Of course it was the 2001 election, and it’s lopsided seat count, 77-2 in favour of the Liberals, that left many clamoring for a better way.
Now Mr. Campbell has scrapped a plan for a second referendum during the 2008 Municipal elections in November as too costly and ill-timed.
That would have required Elections B.C. to have two electoral maps, indeed two complete systems in place, to be ready for the May 2009 provincial election – cost to taxpayers as much as $60,000,000.
The new referendum will now go the people in May 2009 and if it passes be in effect for the 2013 vote.
Green Party leader Adriane Carr has called the delay unacceptable. Perhaps because a move towards a sort of proportional representation is widely seen as they only way you’ll see a Green MLA in the foreseeable future.
Perhaps what is actually unacceptable is the prospect of spending that kind of money on change for the sake of change. It can be argued that the standard for STV, and its inherent radical changes, to pass should be higher than 60 per cent.
STV’s multi-member seat premise confused some voters, and if passed could mire the legislature in chaos. It is not the cure-all that reformers would have the electorate believe. It is also not something to be rushed into just to get a few fringe party candidates to Victoria.
—John McKenzie
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