British Columbians appear to be on the verge of blowing their one — and probably last — big chance to re-energize democracy in the province.
An Angus Reid Strategies online poll released on the weekend suggests that 53 per cent of adult B.C. residents support BC-STV (single transferable vote), while 47 per cent oppose it. Since it takes 60 per cent for the referendum in next Tuesday’s (May 12) provincial election to pass, the numbers seem to suggest that the electoral-reform measure will go down to “defeat” for a second straight time, even though a clear majority favour it.
That would be a terrible shame, and the most ironic thing about it all is that a ballot measure that promises to significantly empower voters, if adopted, may well be defeated by the very thing it would significantly reduce: voter apathy.
The same poll also noted that 17 per cent of those surveyed didn’t even know that a referendum on B.C.’s voting system will take place this month.
Say what you will about the confusing nature of the way votes would be counted under STV, then look at the results: In every simulation ever run under the proposed new system, whether the subjects were political candidates or pizzas, people got what they wanted far more often under STV than under the current, first-past-the-post system. That fact alone would help re-engage voters in the process, would make elected leaders far more accountable, and would make our democracy more effective.
At Saturday’s (May 2) West Vancouver-Sea to Sky candidates’ forum in Whistler, a voter stood up to ask candidates for their positions on STV. The man said he was “fed up with having only two choices — right wing and left wing.” We share his sentiment, and would only add that STV would reduce the amount of strategic voting — that is, choosing the “least worst” candidate instead of those who would best represent you in Victoria.
When questioned, the NDP’s Juliana Buitenhuis said that if STV does not pass, the party will continue pushing for voting reform. The Green Party’s Jim Stephenson said Canada is one of only three jurisdictions in the world (the U.S. and U.K. being the others) that does not have some form of proportional representation, adding that he supports it.
Liberal incumbent Joan McIntyre, meanwhile, said she was “concerned” that STV would “diminish the voices of the smaller communities” in a given riding. She also said she has questions about how several MLAs — four, in our case — in each of the 20 larger ridings would administer the region.
We beg to differ. Take our riding, which would be called North Shore-Sea to Sky, as an example. It would have four MLAs, and those representatives could hail from any part of the region, which contains some 215,000 voters (the current riding has 48,000). Two or three would probably come from the population centre on the North Shore, but those from smaller communities would have no less chance of being elected than they do now. What’s more, a citizen with an issue to take to Victoria would have a choice — both geographically and politically — on which of the four MLAs would best represent his or her interests on the matter.
How would the four “administer” the riding? Well, that’s a no-brainer: They would have to work together, no matter what their political stripe. What a novel idea, eh?
Under STV, we would have more minority governments, but fewer election results that don’t truly reflect voters’ wishes. And aren’t minority governments all about elected leaders working together on behalf of citizens, not on behalf of their parties?
This chance only comes around every once in a while. We sincerely hope B.C. voters seize the day and decide to re-energize our democracy.
