The B.C. NDP-Green government is pressing ahead with its plan to change the voting system in time for the next provincial election, and is facing bitter opposition from the B.C. Liberals.

MLAs have been debating two major changes, one to replace corporate and union donations with a public subsidy based on previous votes, and another to adopt a still-undefined system of proportional representation.

The system is to be defined by the government and put to a referendum to be held by the fall of 2018. Unlike the past two province-wide votes on the issue, this referendum is to be decided by a simple majority of all participating voters, without requiring support from a majority of constituencies.

Without regional support, the referendum will likely be decided by the southwest corner of the province, where three quarters of the population resides. Metro Vancouver alone is home to more than half of B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 4.6 million people.

香蕉视频直播� John Rustad (@JohnRustad4BC)

Debate has been harshly divided. Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Mike Morris is among the opposition members accusing the NDP and Greens of a 香蕉视频直播渂ackroom deal香蕉视频直播� to remake the voting and party financing system to favour themselves.

香蕉视频直播淭hey say that the choice of an electoral system is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy, but here we have this government that is rushing this legislation through without any public consultation,香蕉视频直播� Morris told the legislature Nov. 2. 香蕉视频直播淵et they香蕉视频直播檙e consulting on ride sharing. They香蕉视频直播檙e consulting on Site C. They香蕉视频直播檙e consulting on the Massey Tunnel. They香蕉视频直播檙e consulting on the foreign buyers tax. They香蕉视频直播檙e consulting on ICBC.香蕉视频直播�

Premier John Horgan has promised that rural representation will be protected in a new system, but that too has yet to be defined.

B.C. already has a law that requires regular judicial review of the distribution of MLA seats. In the last two reviews, the former government required that rural and northern seats not be merged or eliminated due to low population. Stikine, home of Forests Minister Doug Donaldson, is a vast northwest region with a population of fewer than 21,000 people, 60 per cent fewer than the average of B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 87 constituencies. Surrey-Fleetwood has a population of more than 60,000, after new seats were added to Surrey and Richmond for the 2017 election to reflect their growth.

香蕉视频直播淲e have deviations in our seat sizes in terms of population that are completely out of whack with other jurisdictions in Canada,香蕉视频直播� Horgan told Black Press. 香蕉视频直播淪o I香蕉视频直播檓 not surprised that there is concern that we take every step to preserve rural representation. It香蕉视频直播檚 fundamental to British Columbians, and I香蕉视频直播檓 committed to make sure that happens.

香蕉视频直播淏ut I香蕉视频直播檓 not going to shy away from the need to change a system that fundamentally gives 100 per cent power to less than 50 per cent of the voters.香蕉视频直播�

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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