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With just two weeks until British Columbians begin voting in a province-wide referendum on proportional representation, a Vancouver MLA has gone public with reasons why he feels the process could take power away from voters and place it in the hands of political parties.
Sam Sullivan, BC Liberal MLA for Vancouver False Creek, and a former Vancouver city councillor for 15 years, released a video on Facebook in which he says a yes vote for proportional representation will allow parties to choose your MLA, rather than voters getting to decide themselves.
"Unfortunately, all three of the proportional systems are party-based, in which political parties choose some of the MLAs," says Sullivan. "The voter-based proportional systems (such as single transferrable vote) will not even be on the ballot.
"The only system that has all MLAs chosen by voters is the current first past the post system. Do you want to choose your MLAs yourself, or do you want parties to make that decision for you."
The public consultation process on the referendum did not even hint at this possibility, he says in the video, and too many factors remain to be decided after the vote has taken place.
"A fringe party with only five per cent of the vote will have to be given a riding somewhere.... Citizens will not be able to vote for a proportional system where voters choose all their MLAs."
Kelowna-Lake Country's Norm Letnick concurs.
"I believe our current system, while not perfect, provides the best direct link between citizens and their locally elected representative," says Letnick. "I believe being locally represented by several people is not appealing to many voters, who want to know exactly which politician to voice their concerns to and is accountable to them to deliver on their stated priorities."
PR will dilute the Okanagan’s influence in Victoria, Letnick claims.
Proportional representation has twice been rejected by B.C. voters in previous referendums.
The mail-in referendum will take place Oct. 22 to Nov. 30.
