iE
FOfSUn'
November
2004
I
News
11
ft
Citizens'
Assembly
and
STV
system
a
step
forward
in
voter
empowerment
by
Peter
Ewart
&
Dawn
Hemingway
Recommendation
to
adopt
STV
system
The
Citizens'
Assembly
on
Electoral
Reform
has
reached
a
decision
on
reforming
the
electoral
process
in
British
Columbia
and,
in
a
referendum
on
May
17
of
next
year,
will
be
recommending
that
voters
adopt
the
Single
Transferable
Vote
(STV)
electoral
system.
Citizens'
Assembly
Sets
Precedent
By
almost
all
accounts,
the
members
and
staff
of
the
Assembly
have
done
a
splendid
job.
But
what
is
the
significance
of
the
Citizens'
Assembly
and
its
recommendation?
There
are
two
main
positive
outcomes.
First
of
all,
an
important
precedent
has
been
set
by
having
ordinary
voters
deliberate
on,
develop
and
recommend
changes
to
the
electoral
process,
which
will
then
be
voted
on
by
the
voters
as
a
whole
on
May
17.
Formerly,
such
changes
were
in
the
hands
of
governments,
ministerial
officials
and
MLAs
of
the
political
parties,
and
were
often
developed
behind
closed
doors.
This
has
.resulted
in
a
conflict
of
interest
as,
in
effect,
the
governments
and
political
partieswere
making
the
njjesthajoyrn
themselves,
rather
than
the
vot
ers
(from
whom
supposedly
all
power
should
flow)
.
J
"4
A
step
forward
in
voter
empowerment
Thus.
the
precedent
of
the
Citizens'
Assembly
is
a
step
forward
not
only
for
electoral
change
in
BC,
but
also
for
Canada.
Furthermore,
it
is
a
step
for-
i
ward
for
any
future
Constitutional
change
at
the
provincial
or
federal
level.
The
last
attempt
at
i
Constitutional
change
at
the
federal
level
in
Canada,
the
Charlottetown
Accord
of
1992,
was
jNow
With
I
More
I
Choices
!
badly
flawed
in
a
number
of
ways,
perhaps
the
chief
one
being
that
it
was
hatched
up
behind
closed
doors
by
the
Prime
Minister
of
the
day
and
the
provincial
premiers.
If
all
power
is
to
flow
from
the
people
in
this
country,
the
discussion
and
the
decisions
on
electoral
and
constitutional
process
must
be
in
the
hands
of
the
people.
From
this
point
on,
all
governments
in
Canada,
no
matter
what
their
stripe,
must
take
this
principle
into
account.
STV
system
The
second
positive
outcome
of
the
Citizens'
Assembly
is
that
the
Assembly
has
recommended
that
British
Columbia
adopt
the
Single
Transferable
Vote
(STV)
electoral
model.
Adoption
of
STV
will
be
another
step
forward
in
voter
empowerment
in
this
province.
Members
of
the
Citizens'
Assembly
used
three
overriding
values
in
assessing
which
system
to
adopt:
(1)
local
representation
(2)
voter
choice
(3)
proportionality
(i.e.,
"the
concept
that
each
party's
share
of
seats
in
the
Legislature
should
reflect
its
share
of
the
popular
vote").
This
article
was,
in
part,
prepared
from
materials
from
the
Citizens'
Assembly
website.
To
access
the
site,
go
to
http:www.citizen.assembly.bc.ca
Local
representation
According
to
Assembly
members
(quoted
on
the
Citizens'
Assembly
website),
Who
examined
a
number
of
electoral
models,
the
STV
system
is
best
suited
to
address
these
values.
It
will
provide
"strong
local
representation
since
all
MLAs
are
elected
to
represent
ridings
and
ensures
constituents
have
an
advocate
in
Victoria."
Greater
choice
In
addition,
voters
will
have
greater
choice
oh
the
ballot.
For
one
thing,
they
will
rank
candidates
in
order
of
preference
(1
,2,3,
etc.),
"picking
and
choosing
between
candidates
from
the
same
party
or
different
parties."
For
another
thing,
they
will
get
to
have
a
voice
in
the
election
of
more
than
one
candidate.
For
example,
the
three
Prince
George
ridings
that
exist
now
could
be
amalgamated
into
one
riding
with
three
representatives.
Thus
each
voter
in
Prince
George
will
have
a
say
in
electing
all
three
candidates
from
this
area.
Candidates
more
than
parties
The
end
result
of
such
a
process
is
that,
to
a
greater
degree
than
the
current
system,
voters
will
be
voting
for
candidates
rather
than
political
parties.
Party
discipline
and
the
Party
"Whip"
system
will
tend
to
be
weakened
as
candidates
of
a
party
in
a
riding
may
also
be
running
against
each
other.
The
candidates
who
are
successful
will
have
to
be
more
responsive'
to
voters
and
less
under
the
thumb
of
their
parties
as
is
currently
the
case.
Greater
proportionality
In
addition,
there
will
be
greater
proportionality
in
the
distribution
of
seats-in
the
Legislature,
with
the
number
of
seats
for
each
party
tending
to
mirror
the
party's
popular
vote.
There
will
also
be
more
of
a
likelihood
for
small
parties
and
independents
to
win
seats.
All
of
this
being
said,
the
adoption
of
the
STV
system
is
not
"the"
ultimate
solution
for
voter
empowerment.
Rather
it
is
a
step
in
that
direction.
For
.this
reason,
it'should
be
supported,
as
should.the
concept
of
the
"Citizens'
Assembly."
PQllOt
-There
are
3
MLA's
to
be
elected
in
your
riding.
instructions:
Rank
candidates
in
the
order
of
your
preference
by
placing
a
number
in
the
box
to
the
right
of
each
candidate's
name.
"1"
would
indicate
your
first
choice,
"2"
your
second
choice,
"3"
your
third
choice,
etc.
You
may
rank
as
many
candidates
as
you
wish,
but
you
must
rank
at
least
one.
Apple
Party
Pear
Party
Peach
Party
Independents
Candidates
Candidates
Candidates
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Brooke
Shoni
Sharon
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Art
Firmin
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George
Cheryl
Jean