With proportional representation, the act of casting a ballot in a provincial election could become more complex, says writer Jim Thornton. The system, advocated by the Green Party and the NDP, would have given the Greens 15 seats instead of three in the 2017 election, he says. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Dear Editor:
In B.C.’s two previous referenda on Proportional Representation (PR), the B.C. Liberal government took steps to seek a clear mandate: to pass, they needed a majority of ridings, and a majority of eligible voters.
To get the results they want, the NDP has set the lowest possible bar. If voter turnout remains similar to previous referenda, our entire electoral system could well be changed by less than 25 per cent of the population.
To make matters worse, we’re not even getting the full details of the three proposed PR systems – not even what will happen to the size of our riding. No matter what, PR means bigger ridings, large and complex ballots, and unelected MLAs answerable only to party headquarters – none of which leads to better results, or more representation.
To give some indication of the potential problems with PR, there are currently 27 political parties registered in BC. If PR were put in place, that number would only grow.
If PR had been in place for the 2017 election, the Green Party would currently have 15 seats, instead of three.
Our current first-past-the-post system can create stable majorities, encourages larger, consensus-building parties, and gives voters a clear choice on a simple ballot.
We have to trust that this fall, British Columbians will see through the NDP and Green Party’s transparent attempt to give themselves jobs for life at taxpayers’ expense.
Jim Thornton
Osoyoos, B.C.
This letter contains incorrect information. The Green Party would not have had 15 seats. We often have 25% voter turnout for municipal elections but no one questions the elected mayors or councilors. Citing 27 potential political parties is scare-mongering. This could not happen since under PR parties must achieve 5% of the total vote across BC. I encourage people to do research themselves to find out about 90 countries around the world that use PR and enjoy stable governments, high voter turnout and higher voter satisfaction in government.
Dear Ms. Holm,
The total number of votes cast in the 2017 BC election was 1,924,165. The Green Party got 332,387 votes, mainly from just a few constituencies on The Island and in the Lower Mainland. 332,387 is 17.27% of 1,924,165. There are 87 seats in the legislature. With Proportional Representation, 17.27% of 87 would be 15 seats.
There are currently 27 registered parties, all of which potentially could be on the ballot. A party would only get a seat or seats in the legislature if they receive over 5% of the vote.