Check out STV at city meetings

Backrooms column by Dan Hilborn
Published March 23, 2005


Does British Columbia need to change the way we vote? Two public meetings are scheduled in Burnaby to discuss the changes proposed by the Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform.

Nancy McAskill, one of eight assembly members from Burnaby, has organized the meetings at the Cameron rec centre on April 2 and the Edmonds Community Centre for the Retired on April 6.

"Anyone who doesn't understand the proposed system should come - especially if you've given up on politics or if you're between the ages of 18 and 34," McAskill said recently.

The proposal, which will be the focus of a referendum to be held in conjunction with the May 17 provincial election, calls for B.C. to elect its government under a system known as the Single Transferable Ballot-B.C. (STV-BC).

When asked if she believes the STV-BC system will be an improvement on the current first-past-the-post system, McAskill said: "absolutely and unequivocally."

She and Bob Westfall, an assembly member from Coquitlam, will offer a slideshow presentation describing how STV-BC would work, and answer any questions from the public.

Despite some negative coverage of the proposal, McAskill said she is pleased to see Rafe Mair recently write in favour of the plan. She noted that her own MLA, Harry Bloy, is supportive of the effort and has provided photocopying materials to help publicize the two meetings.

The Citizens Assembly public meetings in Burnaby are at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 2 at the Cameron rec centre, 9523 Cameron Street, behind Lougheed Town Centre, and at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 6 at the Edmonds Community Centre for the Retired, 7435 Edmonds, near Kingsway.

ALL-CANDIDATES' MEETING SET

Mark your calendars.

The folks at the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion have confirmed the first all-candidates' meeting of the provincial election.

In a press release issued last Tuesday, BACI announced it will host an all-Burnaby, all-candidates' meeting at their Still Creek education centre on April 28.

The focus of the meeting will be on poverty, housing, disability issues and transportation, and the Liberal, NDP and Green Party candidates from the four city ridings will be invited.

"We think that this meeting will provide a good forum for discussion about issues that affect everyone in Burnaby," BACI executive director Richard Faucher said in a press release.

"BACI has enjoyed a strong presence in Burnaby over the past 50 years, and our members alone represent over 1,000 families in the Burnaby areas so we expect a strong turnout."

The meeting will be held Thursday, April 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the BACI Still Creek Education Centre, 2702 Norland Ave., at Douglas Road.

GREEN PARTY NOMINATIONS

The Green Party will be choosing its candidates for the three Burnaby ridings on March 29.

Candidates for the Burnaby-Edmonds, Burnaby-Willingdon and Burnaby North ridings will be chosen at the meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m., at the McGill library, 4595 Albert St.

THIS NEW PARTY TEMPTS HILBORN

One of the newest political parties in B.C. will probably not be running a candidate in Burnaby in the upcoming provincial election.

The Work Less Party, which has produced a calendar with a three-day weekend and organized dance parties, has been unable to find a suitable candidate to run in any of the four Burnaby ridings.

This reporter was tempted to throw his name into the hat (my juggling coach is their West Vancouver candidate, Ben West), but the intriguing prospect of less work was dampened somewhat by the resulting reality of less pay.

While they may not elect any members to the legislature, they do have some of the catchiest campaign slogans I've ever seen - 'Workers of the world - relax,' and 'Alarm clocks kill dreams.'

The Work Less Party is also organizing an new annual Rat Race on May 13, when they intend to dress up in business suits, don rat noses and tails, and then run an obstacle course through the downtown core of Vancouver.