CTF Presentation

NELSON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation's BC division makes its presentation to the province's Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform today.

"CTF supporters want to see a change in our voting system, not for its own sake, but in order to make government more accountable," said National Communications Director and presenter Troy Lanigan. "Our proposal focuses on addressing three primary short comings of the status quo: excessive party discipline, excessive concentration of power in the hands of the premier and cabinet, and weak local representation."

The CTF proposes a mixed made-in-BC voting system that would provide for multi-member ridings in larger urban areas and single members ridings in rural areas. Importantly, each would use a preferential ballot. "The proposal arrests power from political parties. In multi-member ridings voters would be able to rank candidates of the same party as well as from different parties. Not unlike a US primary, the nomination process effectively takes place on Election Day," Lanigan said. "Seats would be decided on election day - not in party backrooms or unseemly nomination battles. The ability of parties to affect election outcomes would be severely curtailed. Independents would have a meaningful opportunity to get elected."

The CTF's proposal would not require an expansion of the provincial legislature or a significant redraw of existing constituency boundaries.

Lanigan - a founder of the Electoral Change Coalition of BC in 1997 - praised the process and work to date of the Citizens' Assembly. Votes would be for candidates, not parties. The Assembly's recommendations will be put to a province-wide vote concurrent with the May 2005 provincial election.

"The intent of our proposal is to grant local voters more control on Election Day thereby weakening party influence and neutralizing party discipline in the legislature," added Lanigan. "Changing the way we vote will not automatically improve government, but it will go a long way toward empowering voters and granting more accountability."