(The following article is from the May 1-15, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial

Voters in British Columbia get a two-for-one deal on May 12 - one ballot to elect MLAs, and a choice between the Single Transferable Vote and the current first-past-the-post system. STV would create 20 multi-member constituencies of varying size across the province. Voters would rank candidates in order of preference, with the "next choice" votes of successful candidates "redistributed" until 2 to 7 were elected in each riding.

     Input to the Citizens Assembly in 2004 showed strong public support for Mixed-Member Proportional Representation (MMP). Instead, the Assembly recommended STV, arguing that this system combines local representation and proportionality of results. The first referendum on STV came close to the 60% necessary for adoption, showing that most British Columbians do want electoral reform.

     But STV falls far short of the advantages claimed by its backers. For one thing, the 20 ridings are huge. "Cariboo Thompson," for example, would be a five-member riding stretching from the US border to Quesnel, with a population of 194,000 and an area of 140,000 square kilometers. Vancouver East, with a population of 277,000, would also elect five members. The resources needed by small parties or independents to campaign successfully in such ridings would be prohibitive, and it would be extremely difficult for elected MLAs to provide strong local representation.

     Furthermore, any consistent element of proportionality would be unlikely, especially since candidates would be grouped together by party affiliation on the ballot. There might be a degree of proportionality in the larger urban ridings of Victoria and Vancouver, but even this is far from certain.

     In short, STV would weaken local representation - the only advantage of first-past-the-post - while offering minimal progress towards proportional results. If STV is adopted, any chance to achieve the preferable MMP system would be put on hold for several terms. For all these reasons, we reluctantly urge BC voters to hold your noses, pick first-past-the-post on May 12, and then renew the campaign for proportional representation.