Backrooms column by Dan Hilborn
Published Nov. 5, 2005
There was a decidedly more serene Mayor Derek Corrigan on the podium at the Edmonds school all-candidate meeting on Tuesday night.
Corrigan, who is best known for his firebrand version of politics and sometimes ribald commentary, sat politely while several speakers ripped into him on the subjects of crime and safety.
"Burnaby has gone to hell in a handbasket," proclaimed one anonymous woman in a red dress. "I've never been so scared as I have been lately. You have not done enough for us."
The woman said she has been pushed aside by transients and bullies who ride the SkyTrain before finishing her two-minute speech with the words: "I don't want you as my mayor any more."
Corrigan, in as mild a voice as I've ever heard, then asked the woman if she supported the Team Burnaby plan to open a homeless shelter in the community - a facility he believes will attract more social problems into the neighbourhood.
"I admit for people like you who grew up in Burnaby, urbanization has been a serious problem," Corrigan said. "Hundreds of thousands of people have moved here and with them come difficulties.
"It takes a community to fight crime, but paranoia won't help," he said.
It appears the mayor is learning how to listen. Whether this lesson comes in time to hold onto his party's overwhelming majority on council and school board is yet to be seen.
CHINA ON AGENDA
A small group of Falun Dafa activists tried to get the candidates to take a strong stand against China on Tuesday night at the Edmonds meeting, with only varying degrees of success.
Garth Evans, a Team Burnaby candidate, acknowledged that the most populated country in the world has a bad record on human rights, but said "It's important for us to do business with China."
Evans noted that Prime Minister Paul Martin has already spoken up against human rights abuses in China and said such debates are more of a federal manner.
BCA councillors Dan Johnston and Colleen Jordan pointed at each other when it was their party's turn to field the question, before Jordan reluctantly agreed to provide an answer.
Jordan said that Burnaby council has been severely criticized for speaking up on international matters in the past, but her party has indeed written letters of support on Falun Dafa's behalf.
THE TRAVELS OF TOM TAO
Independent mayoral candidate Tom Tao is styling himself as the most experienced of the three candidates in this year's race, thanks to his age and international travels.
The 61-year-old Chinese-born businessman, who once lived in Taiwan and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, is all over the map when it comes to his platform. His campaign is calling for more police, more education and a review of the city's capital reserve funds.
"We have $430 million. Is that in one bank or various banks? Is there any way to use just the interest? We know that Burnaby property prices are going up," he said.
Tao also said that one solution to the city's social problems is to "have the homeless people retrain themselves. We need better education and free everything is not a solution," he said.
To complete his political adventure, Tao also opined on the state of politics in the U.S.A. "Looking at Bush down south, we can see that absolute power leads to absolute corruption," he said. One can only wonder if that was an allusion to the BCA's current domination of 14 out of 16 seats on city council and school board.
HARRIS SPEAKS UP
Former BVNPA councillor Nancy Harris, who is running as an independent candidate in this election, got a few chuckles and raised some hackles during the Tuesday night all-candidates meeting.
During her opening remarks, she said the reason she's running as an independent is the same reason why she's a single mom. "Nobody asked me," she said.
But then she surprised many when she took exception to Team Burnaby's plan to hire a dozen more police officers in each of the next three years. "It's not appropriate, in my mind, to look at policing increases as a response to social problems," Harris said.
She also lambasted Mayor Derek Corrigan for shutting down the family court and youth justice committee after the B.C. Liberals closed the old Burnaby courthouse. Harris, who used to chair the committee, is still hopeful that Burnaby will adopt the restorative justice program she touted during her earlier tenure at city hall.
RUNNING ON ITS RECORD
The Burnaby Citizens Association is running on its record in this election, as evidenced by the fact that it sent nothing but incumbents on the stage during the first of only three all- candidate meetings planned for this campaign.
Kathy Corrigan, Diana Mumford and Larry Hayes were the three BCA school board candidates who fielded questions during the Edmonds school debate.
During the city council portion of the debate, the BCA sent only two candidates on stage - incumbents Colleen Jordan and Dan Johnston.
Team Burnaby also played it safe with its council candidates, putting two of its heavy-hitters on stage - veteran politicos Gary Begin and former school trustee Barbara Spitz - alongside newcomer Garth Evans, a lawyer who is described as an environmental health expert.
And there were noticeable absences from both of the main parties. Paul McDonell, the rookie BCA candidate with strong roots in the Edmonds neighbourhood, was not in attendance, nor was Team's lone council incumbent, Lee Rankin, who apparently has been working late into the night drafting the policy statements for his new political compatriots.
Surprisingly, independent candidates Parvin Chami, who is running for city council, and Rubin Prince, who is running for school board, also failed to make the meeting.
SEE HOW STV WORKS IN CITY
The folks who brought you the single transferable vote system of balloting have created a website that applies their system to the current Burnaby city council election.
Do yourself a favour and check it out to see if you can figure out how the system works.
Find the site at http://bc.demochoice.org/bcballot.php?poll=bur.
There is also a test run of what last spring's provincial election night have looked like under an STV system, with the four Burnaby ridings included on the same ballot as New Westminster and two East Vancouver ridings.
But be prepared for a shock.
As of last Thursday, only one Burnaby candidate would have been elected out of the seven ridings, and that is Patty Sahota, the only Liberal in the city who in fact lost the election.
For the record, my initial enthusiasm for the STV system has been steadily dimming, and the results of the website voting are not making me any more predisposed toward the plan.
As of this writing, I'm leaning more toward the Australian rules that require citizens to vote or else face a fine.
I still believe the most fundamental problem in our current system is lack of voter participation, and what I'm seeing from STV does nothing to alleviate those concerns.
Showing posts with label Citizens Assembly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Citizens Assembly. Show all posts
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Assembly votes for change
By Dan Hilborn
Published Oct. 27, 2004
It took almost a full year of meetings, stacks of reading and many long hours of debate, but the 160-member Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform has come up with a plan to radically change the way British Columbians choose their provincial government.
The panel voted 80 per cent in favour of recommending a system dubbed the 'single transferable vote' (STV) over a mixed-member proportional system.
"I'm feeling elated," said Nancy McAskill, one of eight commission members from Burnaby who were chosen at random to sit on the group.
"I was one of those frustrated voters going into this process, and I was grateful for the opportunity to become educated.
"I saw the potential for improving our system and I was one of those people who was not entrenched in having any particular system," she said. "Yeah, I'm feeling good about this, and I'm hoping every voter in B.C. learns about this before May 17 and then votes 'yes.'"
Similar sentiments were expressed by commission members Gerry Hurst, John Mak and Craig Henschel, the other commission members from Burnaby contacted for this story.
"I think STV is the way to go because I like the proportionality of it,"said Hurst, a retired teacher.
"What we have right now does not give you voter choice. This system will change that because we can elect members from different parties."
"I'm 100 per cent behind it," added Mak. "I just hope we have the kind of public resources we'll need to continue educating the public about what we're trying to accomplish."
Henschel, who is described by the other assembly members as one of the most knowledgable people in the group, said that despite the comments of B.C. Green Party leader Adriane Carr, the STV system is actually just another name for proportional representation. He also noted that the system is substantially different from the transferable ballots that were used in the 1952 and '53 elections.
The STV system is similar to that used in Ireland for the past 100 years, as well as in Malta, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
"In Ireland, the political parties have tried twice to get rid of this system, and twice the voters have wanted to keep it," he said.
And the STV system received a half-hearted endorsement from former Green Party candidate Robert Broughton, who ran in New Westminster during the last provincial election.
"The single transferable vote is an improvement over the status quo, but the problem will be in actually getting it to pass in a referendum next year," said Broughton.
"One of the principal features of this system is that everyone votes and then you feed all those votes into a computer, which tells you who won.
"I think the public will mistrust it," Broughton said.
And getting the politicians to support the plan could be difficult, too. Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy said he supported the work of the Citizens' Assembly, but he stopped short of endorsing their STV proposal.
"I support the Citizens' Assembly 150 per cent," Bloy said Tuesday morning. "I applaud them for the work that they do, and their recommendation is what will go to the people of British Columbia and I support that recommendation."
When asked if that meant he'll vote 'yes' on the referendum, Bloy said: "I support that recommendation and I look forward to it coming to government so I can review it."
The STV system is described as more complicated than the existing system. Instead of having a single candidate per riding, the province would be redivided into larger constituencies with up to five members of the Legislative Assembly in each riding.
Then, instead of choosing a single candidate, voters will be asked to rank their candidates in order of preference, up to the maximum number of MLAs in the district.
Computer users can see a working model of a very similar proposal on the Australian government's website - www.seo.sa.gov.au/ flash.htm.
Click on the word 'continue' until the menu on the left side of the screen appears and, under the heading 'counting methods,' choose 'proportional representation' and follow the prompts.
Published Oct. 27, 2004
It took almost a full year of meetings, stacks of reading and many long hours of debate, but the 160-member Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform has come up with a plan to radically change the way British Columbians choose their provincial government.
The panel voted 80 per cent in favour of recommending a system dubbed the 'single transferable vote' (STV) over a mixed-member proportional system.
"I'm feeling elated," said Nancy McAskill, one of eight commission members from Burnaby who were chosen at random to sit on the group.
"I was one of those frustrated voters going into this process, and I was grateful for the opportunity to become educated.
"I saw the potential for improving our system and I was one of those people who was not entrenched in having any particular system," she said. "Yeah, I'm feeling good about this, and I'm hoping every voter in B.C. learns about this before May 17 and then votes 'yes.'"
Similar sentiments were expressed by commission members Gerry Hurst, John Mak and Craig Henschel, the other commission members from Burnaby contacted for this story.
"I think STV is the way to go because I like the proportionality of it,"said Hurst, a retired teacher.
"What we have right now does not give you voter choice. This system will change that because we can elect members from different parties."
"I'm 100 per cent behind it," added Mak. "I just hope we have the kind of public resources we'll need to continue educating the public about what we're trying to accomplish."
Henschel, who is described by the other assembly members as one of the most knowledgable people in the group, said that despite the comments of B.C. Green Party leader Adriane Carr, the STV system is actually just another name for proportional representation. He also noted that the system is substantially different from the transferable ballots that were used in the 1952 and '53 elections.
The STV system is similar to that used in Ireland for the past 100 years, as well as in Malta, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
"In Ireland, the political parties have tried twice to get rid of this system, and twice the voters have wanted to keep it," he said.
And the STV system received a half-hearted endorsement from former Green Party candidate Robert Broughton, who ran in New Westminster during the last provincial election.
"The single transferable vote is an improvement over the status quo, but the problem will be in actually getting it to pass in a referendum next year," said Broughton.
"One of the principal features of this system is that everyone votes and then you feed all those votes into a computer, which tells you who won.
"I think the public will mistrust it," Broughton said.
And getting the politicians to support the plan could be difficult, too. Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy said he supported the work of the Citizens' Assembly, but he stopped short of endorsing their STV proposal.
"I support the Citizens' Assembly 150 per cent," Bloy said Tuesday morning. "I applaud them for the work that they do, and their recommendation is what will go to the people of British Columbia and I support that recommendation."
When asked if that meant he'll vote 'yes' on the referendum, Bloy said: "I support that recommendation and I look forward to it coming to government so I can review it."
The STV system is described as more complicated than the existing system. Instead of having a single candidate per riding, the province would be redivided into larger constituencies with up to five members of the Legislative Assembly in each riding.
Then, instead of choosing a single candidate, voters will be asked to rank their candidates in order of preference, up to the maximum number of MLAs in the district.
Computer users can see a working model of a very similar proposal on the Australian government's website - www.seo.sa.gov.au/ flash.htm.
Click on the word 'continue' until the menu on the left side of the screen appears and, under the heading 'counting methods,' choose 'proportional representation' and follow the prompts.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Sahota calls for Citizens' Assembly on national level
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 15, 2004
As the much-heralded Citizens' Assembly for Electoral Reform in B.C. enters its final stage, Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota is calling for a similar effort on the national front.
In a press release issued early last month, Sahota said a national citizens' assembly could help combat the drop in voter participation that has affected almost all levels of government in Canada.
"The numbers are on a downward trend, despite all the initiatives that are trying to get young people involved," Sahota told the Burnaby NOW.
"Elections Canada sends out kits to people as young as in grades 5 or 6. Elections Canada sends out birthday cards when you turn 18. ... I thought it was amazing all the stuff that's out there.
"Yet, what has the response been? It appears it hasn't had too much impact.
"Perhaps it's not young people, perhaps it's something bigger than that. Maybe it's the process itself.
"I think we have to do a better job - not just us politicians, but people in general and institutions have to do a better job of communicating the programs we have."
Published Sept. 15, 2004
As the much-heralded Citizens' Assembly for Electoral Reform in B.C. enters its final stage, Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota is calling for a similar effort on the national front.
In a press release issued early last month, Sahota said a national citizens' assembly could help combat the drop in voter participation that has affected almost all levels of government in Canada.
"The numbers are on a downward trend, despite all the initiatives that are trying to get young people involved," Sahota told the Burnaby NOW.
"Elections Canada sends out kits to people as young as in grades 5 or 6. Elections Canada sends out birthday cards when you turn 18. ... I thought it was amazing all the stuff that's out there.
"Yet, what has the response been? It appears it hasn't had too much impact.
"Perhaps it's not young people, perhaps it's something bigger than that. Maybe it's the process itself.
"I think we have to do a better job - not just us politicians, but people in general and institutions have to do a better job of communicating the programs we have."
SFU student carries political message
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 15, 2004
Jennifer Keefe defies most of the stereotypes about young people and politics.
First off, the 21-year-old Simon Fraser University student believes there is lots to be fascinated about in the world of Canadian politics - unfortunately our school system does a poor job of presenting the subject.
Secondly, she believes young people would be more willing to get involved in politics - but only if they knew how deeply the workings of government affected their lives.
And Keefe had the rare opportunity to express those views to some of the most influential politicians in the country when she was chosen to be one of two B.C. delegates to attend a youth conference held in conjunction with the Canadian premiers' meeting in Niagara- on-the-Lake, Ont., this past summer.
"I think young people need the opportunity to be engaged, and the forum I was at provided that," said Keefe, who says changing young people's attitudes towards politics will take a concerted effort. "I think young people fail to see the importance of politics and public affairs in their lives."
And to make that change will take a concerted effort, she said.
"The media, the secondary school system and the workplace are needed to influence the political culture of indifference that exists with youth," she said.
For example, she believes schools should spend more time talking about politics and less time on the inanimate structures of government.
"We should look at the issues that face Canadians, such as the regional cleavages that make it difficult for governments to cooperate," Keefe said. "Right now there is a big focus on history, but not so much on politics."
At the conference, Keefe met with several politicians and heard a variety of responses to her ideas for getting young people more involved in politics.
She said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell was among the more receptive political leaders, who talked about the possibility of hosting a youth conference where young people could speak to him in person.
In contrast, a cabinet minister from Alberta was a little less impressed by the call to engage young people.
"He said it's not so important for youth to vote," Keefe said, with a tone of disappointment in her voice.
At the conference, Keefe called on the politicians to take several concrete steps to get young people more involved in the political process.
Keefe would like to see a national competition created for young people to help them produce their own advertising campaigns on the importance of voting, and the creation of a national forum made up of two students from each high school in the country to gather once a year to discuss issues of importance to youth.
"I think that by learning more about the diversity that exists within Canada, people will learn that the government is made up of different levels," she said.
Keefe also supports Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota's call for a national citizens' assembly, similar to the 160-member panel that is currently looking at the electoral process in British Columbia.
Published Sept. 15, 2004
Jennifer Keefe defies most of the stereotypes about young people and politics.
First off, the 21-year-old Simon Fraser University student believes there is lots to be fascinated about in the world of Canadian politics - unfortunately our school system does a poor job of presenting the subject.
Secondly, she believes young people would be more willing to get involved in politics - but only if they knew how deeply the workings of government affected their lives.
And Keefe had the rare opportunity to express those views to some of the most influential politicians in the country when she was chosen to be one of two B.C. delegates to attend a youth conference held in conjunction with the Canadian premiers' meeting in Niagara- on-the-Lake, Ont., this past summer.
"I think young people need the opportunity to be engaged, and the forum I was at provided that," said Keefe, who says changing young people's attitudes towards politics will take a concerted effort. "I think young people fail to see the importance of politics and public affairs in their lives."
And to make that change will take a concerted effort, she said.
"The media, the secondary school system and the workplace are needed to influence the political culture of indifference that exists with youth," she said.
For example, she believes schools should spend more time talking about politics and less time on the inanimate structures of government.
"We should look at the issues that face Canadians, such as the regional cleavages that make it difficult for governments to cooperate," Keefe said. "Right now there is a big focus on history, but not so much on politics."
At the conference, Keefe met with several politicians and heard a variety of responses to her ideas for getting young people more involved in politics.
She said B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell was among the more receptive political leaders, who talked about the possibility of hosting a youth conference where young people could speak to him in person.
In contrast, a cabinet minister from Alberta was a little less impressed by the call to engage young people.
"He said it's not so important for youth to vote," Keefe said, with a tone of disappointment in her voice.
At the conference, Keefe called on the politicians to take several concrete steps to get young people more involved in the political process.
Keefe would like to see a national competition created for young people to help them produce their own advertising campaigns on the importance of voting, and the creation of a national forum made up of two students from each high school in the country to gather once a year to discuss issues of importance to youth.
"I think that by learning more about the diversity that exists within Canada, people will learn that the government is made up of different levels," she said.
Keefe also supports Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota's call for a national citizens' assembly, similar to the 160-member panel that is currently looking at the electoral process in British Columbia.
Reforms on the way
By Dan Hilborn
Published Sept. 8, 2004
There's a sense of optimism and hope coming from the Burnaby members of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform as they head into the home stretch in their unique experiment in democracy.
This weekend, the 160-member assembly will begin the 'deliberation phase' of its year-long exercise, where members will try to develop recommendations on making the B.C. voting system more fair and equitable.
"There's been a lot of work so far, but I feel that we have enough information and background to be able to make a decision," said Adina Irimescu, a 21-year-old commerce student at UBC who is one of two assembly members from Burnaby-Willingdon.
The assembly must come up with its final recommendation this fall whether or not to change from the existing 'first past the post' system of balloting, which has been used in British Columbia since the early 1950s.
Irimescu, the second youngest member of the assembly, said she will recommend in favour of whatever system has the most public support. "I would just go with what people in general want," she said. "The point is to make as many people in B.C. as happy as possible."
And Irimescu believes the majority of speakers and submissions to date are in favour of a mixed member proportional (MMP) system of voting - something better known as proportional representation.
Craig Henschel, a 44-year-old intern architect who also lives in Willingdon, said he has already filled an entire bookcase with the submission he's received, and he too is optimistic about the work so far.
"From what I've heard, people clearly want some degree of local representation," said Henschel, who is leaning in favour of two of the proposals made thus far: MMP and something called STV, the single transferable vote.
"STV is a preferential ballot where you rank the candidates in order of preference: first choice, second choice and so on," Henschel said. "And the riding would have more than one member - perhaps three to seven members."
Henschel said STV is similar to the voting systems used in Ireland, Tasmania and Malta, while the MMP system is similar to that used in Germany and New Zealand.
"I feel both of these systems have significant advantages over our current system," he said. "Our discussions will be which one do we prefer the most, but the choice is not between good or bad, it's between better and best."
The MMP system is strongly supported by B.C. Green Party leader Adrienne Carr and her Free Your Vote campaign, while the STV system is most strongly supported by former Social Credit cabinet minister Nick Loenen.
Sam Todd, a 44-year-old construction sales manager who represents the Burquitlam riding, said much of his confidence in the process lies in the fact that he and the other assembly members were chosen at random.
"Every system has its pros, and every system has its cons," said Todd. "And every once in a while democracy has to change itself. Years ago, it was rich Greek landowners had a democracy in Socrates' time. And now it'll be interesting to see what history has to say about all this.
"Let's be frank. There are so many special interest groups, ... everyone is cynical," said Todd. "But we're not political. We're the furthest thing from being political."
Like the other assembly members from Burnaby contacted for this story, Todd wants to finish the public input portion of the meetings before making up his mind on which system to recommend.
"I'm leaning towards a couple of things that I think will work, but there's still a lot to be done," he said. "Somebody could still change my mind and that's the great thing about this. It's going down to the wire."
That view is shared by Gerry Hurst, a 69-year-old retired teacher who represents Burnaby-Edmonds. "I think most of us are just coming to grips with all of the submissions," said Hurst. "We've all come from ground zero, so to speak, and we've had a lot of education in regards to the political voting systems.
"Probably by our second meeting in September we'll have a better understanding of where we're heading," Hurst said. "But it's funny. You have your thoughts about what's best, then you read something else and discuss it with other people, and then those thoughts are eliminated and you think of something else. ... As you learn more, you decide differently."
In addition to receiving more than 1,500 written submissions, the assembly heard 387 verbal presentations from more than 2,700 people who attended a series of public meetings held in May and June, including one meeting in Burnaby. Nine of those speakers have been invited back to this weekend's deliberations.
If the assembly members recommend a change, their proposal will be the subject of a referendum to be held in conjunction with the May 2005 provincial election.
More detailed information on the assembly and the proposals they are reviewing can be found at the website, www.citizensassembly.bc.ca.
Published Sept. 8, 2004
There's a sense of optimism and hope coming from the Burnaby members of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform as they head into the home stretch in their unique experiment in democracy.
This weekend, the 160-member assembly will begin the 'deliberation phase' of its year-long exercise, where members will try to develop recommendations on making the B.C. voting system more fair and equitable.
"There's been a lot of work so far, but I feel that we have enough information and background to be able to make a decision," said Adina Irimescu, a 21-year-old commerce student at UBC who is one of two assembly members from Burnaby-Willingdon.
The assembly must come up with its final recommendation this fall whether or not to change from the existing 'first past the post' system of balloting, which has been used in British Columbia since the early 1950s.
Irimescu, the second youngest member of the assembly, said she will recommend in favour of whatever system has the most public support. "I would just go with what people in general want," she said. "The point is to make as many people in B.C. as happy as possible."
And Irimescu believes the majority of speakers and submissions to date are in favour of a mixed member proportional (MMP) system of voting - something better known as proportional representation.
Craig Henschel, a 44-year-old intern architect who also lives in Willingdon, said he has already filled an entire bookcase with the submission he's received, and he too is optimistic about the work so far.
"From what I've heard, people clearly want some degree of local representation," said Henschel, who is leaning in favour of two of the proposals made thus far: MMP and something called STV, the single transferable vote.
"STV is a preferential ballot where you rank the candidates in order of preference: first choice, second choice and so on," Henschel said. "And the riding would have more than one member - perhaps three to seven members."
Henschel said STV is similar to the voting systems used in Ireland, Tasmania and Malta, while the MMP system is similar to that used in Germany and New Zealand.
"I feel both of these systems have significant advantages over our current system," he said. "Our discussions will be which one do we prefer the most, but the choice is not between good or bad, it's between better and best."
The MMP system is strongly supported by B.C. Green Party leader Adrienne Carr and her Free Your Vote campaign, while the STV system is most strongly supported by former Social Credit cabinet minister Nick Loenen.
Sam Todd, a 44-year-old construction sales manager who represents the Burquitlam riding, said much of his confidence in the process lies in the fact that he and the other assembly members were chosen at random.
"Every system has its pros, and every system has its cons," said Todd. "And every once in a while democracy has to change itself. Years ago, it was rich Greek landowners had a democracy in Socrates' time. And now it'll be interesting to see what history has to say about all this.
"Let's be frank. There are so many special interest groups, ... everyone is cynical," said Todd. "But we're not political. We're the furthest thing from being political."
Like the other assembly members from Burnaby contacted for this story, Todd wants to finish the public input portion of the meetings before making up his mind on which system to recommend.
"I'm leaning towards a couple of things that I think will work, but there's still a lot to be done," he said. "Somebody could still change my mind and that's the great thing about this. It's going down to the wire."
That view is shared by Gerry Hurst, a 69-year-old retired teacher who represents Burnaby-Edmonds. "I think most of us are just coming to grips with all of the submissions," said Hurst. "We've all come from ground zero, so to speak, and we've had a lot of education in regards to the political voting systems.
"Probably by our second meeting in September we'll have a better understanding of where we're heading," Hurst said. "But it's funny. You have your thoughts about what's best, then you read something else and discuss it with other people, and then those thoughts are eliminated and you think of something else. ... As you learn more, you decide differently."
In addition to receiving more than 1,500 written submissions, the assembly heard 387 verbal presentations from more than 2,700 people who attended a series of public meetings held in May and June, including one meeting in Burnaby. Nine of those speakers have been invited back to this weekend's deliberations.
If the assembly members recommend a change, their proposal will be the subject of a referendum to be held in conjunction with the May 2005 provincial election.
More detailed information on the assembly and the proposals they are reviewing can be found at the website, www.citizensassembly.bc.ca.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Looking for a better system
By Dan Hilborn
Published May 8, 2004
Are British Columbians in the mood to change the way they elect their provincial government? That was the impression given at a public forum with the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform held in Burnaby on Wednesday night.
Almost 100 people were on hand at the Holiday Inn to listen to recommendations on changing the way we elect government, and four of the seven speakers who went to the podium called for some form of proportional representation - a system of voting that comes in many varieties and is used in most European countries.
All of the speakers opposed the existing 'first past the post' system which offers victory to the one candidate with the most votes, even if they have less than 50 per cent of the total votes cast in the riding.
Andrea Wiebe, of the B.C. Nurses' Union, asked the assembly to ensure there is better representation of both women and minority groups in the legislature, to better reflect the makeup of the B.C. population.
"For democracy to flourish, people must feel they are fairly represented," Wiebe said, citing statistics that indicate support for proportional representation in B.C. has leaped from just 50 per cent in 1996 to more than 70 per cent today.
She believes political parties should have seats in the legislature if they achieve a "reasonable threshold" of at least four or five per cent of the total popular vote. And she'd like those seats filled by some kind of 'mixed member' system.
Leslie Brown also spoke against the current system of voting, and said its problems can be seen in the results of the past two provincial elections. He noted the NDP won the 1996 election with fewer votes than the Liberals, and then the Liberals won 97 per cent of the seats in the 2001 election with only 58 per cent of the vote.
"In my opinion, both the 1996 and 2001 election results were unacceptable," said Brown, who urged the assembly to propose some form of election with "broadly proportional results" as recommended by the Law Commission of Canada.
Greg Dickey also spoke in favour of proportional representation, and said the existing system actually discourages people from voting if they believe their favoured candidate has no possibility of winning.
"The more insidious effect of first past the post is that it not only disenfranchises people after they've cast their vote, it actually discourages those votes in the first place," he said. "I don't believe that proportional representation is the be-all, end- all, but I believe it is better than the current first past the post system."
Dickey was also critical of the way the media covers elections, and said the release of public opinion polls during a campaign can often be a negative influence on voters.
The most ambitious proposal for change came from New York City resident Sol Erdman, who promoted a complicated system of double voting that he called 'interactive representation.'
Under Erdman's plan, after the election is held, voters would be given a second opportunity to choose a personal representative from among all the winning candidates, thereby ensuring that they are represented by a candidate who reflects their own political leanings.
Ian Macanulty spoke in favour of the single transferable ballot, similar to the voting system used in Ireland and the system used in British Columbia during the early 1950s.
"My main point is that the (political) parties are too powerful, and anything we can do to reduce the parties' power is a good thing," Macanulty said. "Voters should be on top, making as much of the decision as possible."
Patrick McMullen suggested that B.C. redraw its electoral map along geographic lines, giving voters in any particular riding closer ties and affinity with each other.
McMullen also suggested that run-off elections be held whenever a riding fails to give a single candidate more than 50 per cent of the vote on the first ballot, and called for all election funding to come from the public purse, minus an "affordable but significant fee" for the candidates.
"We need to repair the creaking structure of our democratic institutions, which have experienced hundreds of years of benign neglect," McMullen said.
And Monique McDonald of the B.C. Association of the Deaf-Blind called on the assembly to ensure that whatever electoral system is chosen, that it be made accessible to people with all sorts of physical challenges.
McDonald said the assembly should ensure that all voting information is made available in braille, large print and audio cassette formats, and that polling stations have enough lighting so that visually impaired voters can cast their own ballots.
"We believe everyone has the right to vote independently and privately," she said. "Often, deaf-blind people have to have someone else cast a vote on their behalf, and a lot of people are uncomfortable with that system."
McDonald also said that the 'template' currently used in British Columbia to help blind voters cast their ballots is poorly made and can result in either a vote for the wrong candidate or an inadvertently spoiled ballot.
Several members of the audience also offered their suggestions to the assembly.
William Lim of Vancouver said the assembly should be looking at amending the entire system of government, and not just the way we run elections.
"The weakness of our electoral system is more than the election of members. It's in the function of the legislature itself., and party control, party discipline and lack of accountability," Lim said. "Even with proportional representation, how do we eliminate the inequity of parachute candidates?"
North Burnaby resident Jim Ervin also complained that the scope of the assembly was too narrow. "Why is any aspect of political reform beyond this assembly?" he asked. "No matter what system you choose, aren't you overlooking the large number of people who feel no candidate is worthy of their vote?"
And one unnamed man with a long beard and flowing hair rose several times during the meeting to promote his idea of allowing 'none of the above' to be an option on the ballot.
Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy attended the early portion of the meeting and thanked the members of the assembly for their work, while Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota arrived later and stayed until the end of the three-hour without announcing her presence.
Published May 8, 2004
Are British Columbians in the mood to change the way they elect their provincial government? That was the impression given at a public forum with the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform held in Burnaby on Wednesday night.
Almost 100 people were on hand at the Holiday Inn to listen to recommendations on changing the way we elect government, and four of the seven speakers who went to the podium called for some form of proportional representation - a system of voting that comes in many varieties and is used in most European countries.
All of the speakers opposed the existing 'first past the post' system which offers victory to the one candidate with the most votes, even if they have less than 50 per cent of the total votes cast in the riding.
Andrea Wiebe, of the B.C. Nurses' Union, asked the assembly to ensure there is better representation of both women and minority groups in the legislature, to better reflect the makeup of the B.C. population.
"For democracy to flourish, people must feel they are fairly represented," Wiebe said, citing statistics that indicate support for proportional representation in B.C. has leaped from just 50 per cent in 1996 to more than 70 per cent today.
She believes political parties should have seats in the legislature if they achieve a "reasonable threshold" of at least four or five per cent of the total popular vote. And she'd like those seats filled by some kind of 'mixed member' system.
Leslie Brown also spoke against the current system of voting, and said its problems can be seen in the results of the past two provincial elections. He noted the NDP won the 1996 election with fewer votes than the Liberals, and then the Liberals won 97 per cent of the seats in the 2001 election with only 58 per cent of the vote.
"In my opinion, both the 1996 and 2001 election results were unacceptable," said Brown, who urged the assembly to propose some form of election with "broadly proportional results" as recommended by the Law Commission of Canada.
Greg Dickey also spoke in favour of proportional representation, and said the existing system actually discourages people from voting if they believe their favoured candidate has no possibility of winning.
"The more insidious effect of first past the post is that it not only disenfranchises people after they've cast their vote, it actually discourages those votes in the first place," he said. "I don't believe that proportional representation is the be-all, end- all, but I believe it is better than the current first past the post system."
Dickey was also critical of the way the media covers elections, and said the release of public opinion polls during a campaign can often be a negative influence on voters.
The most ambitious proposal for change came from New York City resident Sol Erdman, who promoted a complicated system of double voting that he called 'interactive representation.'
Under Erdman's plan, after the election is held, voters would be given a second opportunity to choose a personal representative from among all the winning candidates, thereby ensuring that they are represented by a candidate who reflects their own political leanings.
Ian Macanulty spoke in favour of the single transferable ballot, similar to the voting system used in Ireland and the system used in British Columbia during the early 1950s.
"My main point is that the (political) parties are too powerful, and anything we can do to reduce the parties' power is a good thing," Macanulty said. "Voters should be on top, making as much of the decision as possible."
Patrick McMullen suggested that B.C. redraw its electoral map along geographic lines, giving voters in any particular riding closer ties and affinity with each other.
McMullen also suggested that run-off elections be held whenever a riding fails to give a single candidate more than 50 per cent of the vote on the first ballot, and called for all election funding to come from the public purse, minus an "affordable but significant fee" for the candidates.
"We need to repair the creaking structure of our democratic institutions, which have experienced hundreds of years of benign neglect," McMullen said.
And Monique McDonald of the B.C. Association of the Deaf-Blind called on the assembly to ensure that whatever electoral system is chosen, that it be made accessible to people with all sorts of physical challenges.
McDonald said the assembly should ensure that all voting information is made available in braille, large print and audio cassette formats, and that polling stations have enough lighting so that visually impaired voters can cast their own ballots.
"We believe everyone has the right to vote independently and privately," she said. "Often, deaf-blind people have to have someone else cast a vote on their behalf, and a lot of people are uncomfortable with that system."
McDonald also said that the 'template' currently used in British Columbia to help blind voters cast their ballots is poorly made and can result in either a vote for the wrong candidate or an inadvertently spoiled ballot.
Several members of the audience also offered their suggestions to the assembly.
William Lim of Vancouver said the assembly should be looking at amending the entire system of government, and not just the way we run elections.
"The weakness of our electoral system is more than the election of members. It's in the function of the legislature itself., and party control, party discipline and lack of accountability," Lim said. "Even with proportional representation, how do we eliminate the inequity of parachute candidates?"
North Burnaby resident Jim Ervin also complained that the scope of the assembly was too narrow. "Why is any aspect of political reform beyond this assembly?" he asked. "No matter what system you choose, aren't you overlooking the large number of people who feel no candidate is worthy of their vote?"
And one unnamed man with a long beard and flowing hair rose several times during the meeting to promote his idea of allowing 'none of the above' to be an option on the ballot.
Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy attended the early portion of the meeting and thanked the members of the assembly for their work, while Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota arrived later and stayed until the end of the three-hour without announcing her presence.
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