By Chad Klassen

Here’s how proportional representation could affect Kamloops voters

Nov 12, 2018 | 4:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — Voters across the province have a little more than two weeks to mail in their ballot on electoral reform. 

The choices are to stay with the first-past-the-post system which is currently how B.C. MLAs are elected or choose proportional representation, a system in which votes directly reflect the number of seats a particular party will earn in the legislature.

There are three different proportional representation options: Dual Member Proportional, Mixed Member Proportional, and Rural-Urban Proportional. It’s an electoral system that some in B.C. feel is a more fair way to vote.

“Right now, we have a party win 39 per cent of the vote, and because the way the system works, that translates into more than half the seats,” says Gisela Ruckert from Fair Vote Kamloops. “We have majority governments that don’t represent a true majority of voters. Under proportional representation, that would be changed.”

Ruckert is part of Fair Vote Kamloops, pushing for a system where every vote matters in electing local representatives. 

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The No BC Pro Rep group, on the other hand, fears local representation would be lost under a proportional representation system. 

“Under the Mixed Member Proportional, you would have a much larger riding, so you might have one representative instead of two,” notes founder and director of No BC Pro Rep Bill Tieleman. “And then they say there will be regions where you’ll be elected, so there’ll be regional representatives. But they don’t say how many regions, so is it two regions, is it three regions, is it five, is it 10, is it 15? So we really don’t know.”

The pro rep side, however, contends local MLAs would be elected with other regional representatives.

“They’re saying that we won’t have local MLAs. Not true. Any one of the three systems has a locally-elected MLA accountable to local voters,” says Ruckert.   

As of Friday morning, 3.7 per cent of the mail-in ballots have been returned across B.C. Ballots in the two Kamloops riding are well above the provincial average so far with nine per cent return in Kamloops-North Thompson and 10 per cent in Kamloops-South Thompson. 

Political commentator Ray Pillar says proportional representation may encourage more one-issue parties to come forward and want a spot in the B.C. Legislature. 

He says regardless of the electoral system, people will always have something to gripe about. 

“There isn’t a voter in the world that doesn’t complain about their government at one time or another,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what electoral system you use to get your candidates in, there will be complaints.”

Pillar adds proportional representation would be the end of majority governments in B.C. 

“We’ll never have anything but coalitions,” noted Pillar. “I think it’ll be harder to get any kind of policies approved.”

British Columbians have until the end of November to submit their ballots through mail to Elections BC, deciding whether to stay with first-past-the-post or shift to proportional representation.