When the lines get redrawn to accommodate the province's growing population, the Liberal government wants to make sure northern and rural ridings don't lose their representation.
On Thursday, the government announced its plan to introduce changes to section nine of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act. That report is open for public comment until Jan. 15, 2014.
"We'd like to continue and take steps and arm the electoral boundaries commission with the tools that we think they will require to protect reasonable representation in the north and rural ridings," said Finance Minister Mike de Jong.
If the proposed changes are successful, there could be no fewer than the current 17 electoral districts in the regions categorized as the North (which includes the two Prince George ridings), Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootnay.
According to the plans, recent electoral boundaries commissions have found it difficult to "address population growth in urban areas of the province without recommending reductions in the number of northern and rural districts."
"What it does is provide a clear statutory direction to the electoral boundaries commission that, in effect, deems that those three regions to be very special circumstances," said de Jong.
A new commission is expected to be appointed by next May. Legislation requires such an appointment be made no later than one year after general voting day for every second general provincial election.
It's a "balancing act" to ensure there is effective representation in large geographic areas with a sparser population while respecting the general principle of equality in the legislature, according to de Jong.
Under the current legislation, the number of constituents in a specific electoral districts can only be above or below the average population per district by 25 per cent, except for "very special circumstances." The proposed change would mean those 17 ridings would be excluded from that rule.
The amendment wouldn't mean that the current boundaries could not be altered. The commission could still adjust the boundaries within those districts to address shifting population.
The changes to the act don't include an increase to the number of ridings or MLAs elected in the next election.
Last year, a boundary commission redrew the federal boundaries, adding six new B.C. representatives to the House of Commons.
"Our population continues to grow, so the step we have taken I expect will be criticized by some by capping the number of MLAs," said de Jong.
The average number of people each MLA currently represents is 53,900. The number of electoral districts was last increased from 79 to 85 in 2006, but the expansion wasn't kept on pace with population growth, according to the white paper.
"Over the same time period, however, there have also been considerable advances in transportation and communications technology, which have made it easier in some ways for MLAs to communicate effectively with those whom they represent," said the report.
To read the proposed changes and for information on how to provide comment on the proposed plans, visit www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/ebca/index.htm
To provide input on the proposed changes, email [email protected].
