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November 27, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Single transferable vote (STV) Proportional representation (PR) is not about the number of seats we have according to population It is about how we elect people to represent these seats. The current method that we now have, as most would agree, is badly flawed. The current system of "First past the post" where the electorate put an X by the one candidate they want has resulted more times than not in a minority government being elected. As a result, The NDP has governed the past 10 years with 38% of the vote, and the federal Liberals got re-elected by 40% of the vote. Single transferable vote (STV) differs in that voters put all the candidates in order of preference. Successively removing the candidates with the least votes and allocating their second choices to remaining candidates, until all but one candidate has dropped out, or one candidate has a majority of the votes. W.A.C. Bennet enacted STV in 1951. After he successfully was elected he disbanded it for any future election by going back to the old system of rule by representatives who were again elected by a minority. Proportional representation many times has lead to a fractured or minority government, as it requires appointing representatives by the party. Parties, based on the percentage of the total votes, would be able to select from their list, who they would appoint to sit in the legislature. Bypassing the requirement of those who did not or could not get elected by the electorate on their own merits. These individuals therefore, would be accountable to their party and not to the electorate. That is why The Governor General who was appointed by the Prime Minister is not accountable to the electorate, or anyone else, only to the Prime Minister. Is this the kind of system you want for British Columbia or for Canada? Recall can only come from the individual(s) who in essence do the hiring. Trying to implement an initiative on this or any other matter by the electorate under the current act is a farce and a disgrace to the electorate by both the NDP and current Liberal government, who in opposition, voted to enact this unworkable legislation. We need to make the current legislation more workable. We need a single transferable vote by which to elect all our representatives by the electorate. That is why we need Reform. -30- For more information contact: |