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B.C. to hold mail-in referendum on proportional representation

British Columbians will decide next fall whether to switch from the current first-past-the-post voting system to a form of proportional representation.
Ballot box voting election photo generic
British Columbians will decide next fall whether to switch from the current first-past-the-post voting system to a form of proportional representation.

British Columbians will decide next fall whether to switch from the current first-past-the-post voting system to a form of proportional representation.

Attorney General Dave Eby introduced legislation Wednesday that sets the stage for a mail-in referendum to be held before the end of November 2018.

The Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Act states that if more than 50 per cent of voters choose a new voting system, the B.C. government will be required to put the system in place for a provincial election held after July 1, 2021.

If the minority NDP government falls before that date, the resulting election will take place under the first-past-the-post system.

The bill does not specify the question that will be on the referendum ballot. Instead, the government says it will promote public discussion of different voting systems in the months ahead.

The feedback will be summarized in a report to Eby that will recommend the question or questions to be included on the referendum ballot.

Eby acknowledged that the legislation left many questions unanswered.

“What will the question be?” he said. “What will the rules be around spending? Will there be funding for proponent or opponent organizations?

“These are questions that we want British Columbians to weigh in on.”

Eby said he expects to hear submissions from the NDP, Greens, Liberals, Conservatives and other parties about what type of ballot question and system they would like to see.

He said the government deliberately allowed for the possibility of a ballot with multiple questions rather than insisting on a single yes or no question. “The concern that I had in working with staff in preparing this was that limiting options out of the gate, before the engagement process, would send a message to British Columbians that decisions had already been made,” he said.

British Columbians rejected electoral reform in referendums in 2005 and 2009.

B.C. Green Party MLA Sonia Furstenau said she’s confident this time will be different.

“This will be the first time in history that a sitting government will actively campaign in favour of electoral reform,” she said.

“That alone makes us feel very hopeful.”

She said public opinion polls suggest strong support for electoral reform. “From what we’re hearing and the kind of engagement that people want to be able to have in their electoral system, we’re feeling confident.”

Eby said the government initially considered holding the referendum at the same time as municipal elections in 2018, but concluded that it would be cheaper to hold a separate mail-in vote.

“In addition, when we looked at participation rates around previous mail-in referenda, they were higher than municipal elections and our goal here is to ensure the best turnout possible,” he said.

The government also introduced amendments to the Constitution Act that reduce the number of seats required for recognized party status to two from four. The B.C. Green Party, which has three MLAs, will be immediate beneficiaries of the change.

The status will allow a two-person party to participate fully in debates in the legislature, Furstenau said. “And that’s really important — that it expands the number of voices in the B.C. legislature.”

In addition, the bill moves the fixed date for provincial elections to a Saturday in October, from May.

Eby said the change will provide greater transparency by allowing time for the February budget to be debated and passed.

lkines@timescolonist.com