By Greg Fry

Five Kamloops councillors voice support for electoral change

Jul 10, 2018 | 11:34 AM

KAMLOOPS — A group of Kamloops city councillors have penned an open letter encouraging citizens to vote ‘Yes’ to proportional representation in B.C.’s upcoming referendum this fall.

The five city councillors are Arjun Singh, Donovan Cavers, Tina Lange, Dieter Dudy and Denis Walsh and have based their decision on their collective experiences in local government.

The  letter notes that city council is composed of representatives from all parts of the political spectrum, representing a diversity of viewpoints, and notes decisions are made after issues have been examined “from many points of view.”

“This diversity, expressed with respect, often results in council reaching common ground,” reads the letter. “Through compromise, cooperation, and civility, we arrive at decisions that represent a broad base of the community.”

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The letter contends that proportional representation, “because it accurately reflects the diversity of views that exist in society, will allow more stable and productive provincial policy decisions as well.”

The letter continues: “We have seen too often the problems of “policy lurch” that result from the adversarial atmosphere so common under our current first-past-the-post voting system. We need a system that will encourage a cooperative sharing of ideas and opinions.”

So, why go public?

“We are prominent public figures and we can use our voices to sort of elevate the conversation and hopefully get more discussion happening talking about the pros and cons of the potential change,” says Donovan Cavers.

Arjun Singh adds he isn’t concerned changing our electoral system would invite exteremist views into the legislature.

“I don’t think it will do that. In my view the extreme people in a “pro rep” system tend to get less extreme if they get elected first of all. Second of all, the thresholds (five per cent) aren’t really low enough to invite the really extreme views to come into the legislature.”

The referendum on electoral change will be conducted by mail-in ballot. The voting period will run from Oct. 22 to Nov. 30.