As I see it, the biggest problem with the forms of proportional representation, as described on the website electionsbc.ca/referendum, is that too much power is given to the political parties. Some party members will receive seats in the house as MLAs without being elected by the citizens of British Columbia; they will be nominated by party officials. To me, this is not democracy.
For this reason, I will not vote to move to the forms of proportional representation. I was and still am an advocate for the single transferable vote, which was recommended by the citizens’ assembly and stupidly (in my opinion) not accepted because the government of the day insisted on a threshold of 60 per cent. The voters managed 58 per cent.
Eric Hurwood
Sooke
