How can we pull anchor on how we traditionally elect our leaders in the gathering storm of unanswered questions, confusion and controversy lurking in the uncharted waters of proportional representation?
B.C. voters need and deserve answers to many questions. Will our riding boundaries change? Will we be part of a new rural B.C. super riding? How many MLAs will we have? Will he or she or they be from our area? Will we even have a hometown constituency office? How many more MLAs will there be? How much more will they cost B.C. taxpayers? Will they all be elected by the people or will some be secretly chosen by leaders of the minority groups or coalitions they represent? Will all our votes really count? What happens if someone "crosses the floor?" How will the premier be selected? What about cabinet? How will by-elections work? Is PR designed to give the concentrated population base of Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island the power to call the shots for the rest of B.C.? What about the rules for how fringe, special interest and extremist groups will form their coalitions? How would an unknown and untried B.C. PR model interact with present traditional local and federal government first-past-the-post models? Why was there no public consultation in determining the questions on the ballot? Since they are regulated by provincial acts, will B.C. local governments and school boards have to follow suit and adopt PR? How will big projects get done? How will anything get done?
And the latest question: has the integrity of the referendum been compromised by the premier's apparent effort to manipulate the outcome by vetoing one of the three PR options midway through voting?
We've been told by the premier not to worry, to trust him as he'll sort it all out after we've voted him a blank cheque to do whatever he has in mind.
I'm told I'm a fear monger. I fear this escapade will be deviously pulled off by a slim majority of votes cast by an even slimmer minority of eligible voters.
A fresh Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform is needed to openly consult with and listen to the people, and not the politicians, to propose a simple and singular question for the next election.
And I know I'm not the only one voting not to pull anchor.
Ron Paull
Quesnel
