A local citizens group campaigning in support of proportional representation applauded last week’s announcement by Attorney-General David Eby. British Columbians have known we would be asked to vote in a referendum on the way we elect the members of our provincial legislature, and now we know the details of the referendum scheduled for October and November.
“We’re pleased to have clear questions for the citizens of BC. We encourage voters to vote yes to the first ballot question so we can switch to a fairer system of proportional representation and be free of the outdated, unfair system of first-past-the-post. Now we, as a citizens group, can get to work on reaching as many voters in our community as possible over the next six months,” says Kathy Hartman, a leader of the Castlegar and Area Fair Vote group.
A record 91,000 British Columbians offered input in a consultation held earlier this year, showing that BC voters care deeply about this issue.
“It looks to us like the government listened to the consultation, which gives us great hope that our elected members will also listen if British Columbians vote yes to proportional representation in the fall,” added Hartman.
The group sees voting yes to proportional representation as the best way to stave off divisiveness and ensure that every voter counts for every election.
