vo The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 3, 2004 AS” a
» _ CORRESPONDENCE FORTHE TERRACE STANDARD =

_The Mail Bag.

“The government i is doing og
“its bit for ‘the northwest

4 The newly proposed Single Transferable Vote system has fans and foes in the north coe agree with.yout.edivorial-wtitet th ie
—_ ok Be ror wt hee See i he on “northivest has been ‘slower to.recover. ‘from the: dark‘d
*. E~ re er A special report by Rebecca Collard . a Oo, dead of the 90s than'the resv of the province “(Editorial ,

“Not here.” Oct.:20, 2004); F'can assuré your readers that

HILE: - Terface's

. « the provincial government is committéd.to secing a Uhriv-. : we
Citizens?” Assembly” ing economy in Ihe. northwest and: throughout B.C. a
. “Fepresentative says-ihe: - _ The'$135 ‘million: Northern Development: Tnitiative i ig
~ Single. Transferable: a direct result, of théB:G. Rail investment: partnership, It) >

Vote system willbe. better for. the.
north, the representative from: Prince :
Rupert | isn’t so sure. <2
©. Margaret Anderson, -a represen: ia
$ tative from. the : :néi ghbouring: ‘North. Ff
Coast riding, was one of seven of the ~
160 assembly’ members ‘that voted |
© against the STV. “system. chosen by
the group.
_ Anderson sys while ‘the Single oo
Transferable - Vote ‘does bring vot-
ers” greater. choice; it. won't ‘bring «.
“proportionalily to: the north. and Will:
‘erode local representation.” ;
“think: the- assembly’ made ‘a’
r very thoughtful. decision;” Anderson :
“said. “But I'm not stire it will serve
~~ the north or the province,” - :
tL While the rumber of MLAs in the :
“£ north won't change, ‘Anderson SAYS
the bigger.multi:-MLA. ridings will’:
~..mean bad things: for ‘smaller. centres -
“and. tural areas. =
: “We don't know. how the tidings *
‘ill: look,” -Andersdn ‘said, ‘explain- |
ing: the: boundaries won't be. drawn: ".
nti] after the. May referendum...‘ :.
3." She ‘predicts MLAs in ‘the. new.
-amalgamated. ridings will *: cater to

will ‘give ‘northern communities the funding, contral and.
“ability to identify. and: pursuc new opporturitiés for'slimu-- °. >
|) lating sustainable: economic’ grows, and Job creation, in
their regions. - oon * oe
. B50 million i is ‘being invested across the: forth and aie ue.
: other $15 million will. go to.the northwesi directly. for. such | 7
things as forestry, ‘small: business’ ‘initiatives;: + transporta-. —
“tion and: tourism: “opportunities, Bowes
More than $17 ruillion:is supporting 2 a: ‘major new x= « a
pansion of the. Port, of: Prince Rupert a and development Of
container terminal facitities.: ; ao
-'Tt's estimated. the: growth i in the: cruise industry could. me
generate over 1,000: jobs i in the Tegion over the next des.
veade, The new container port'will mean even itiore jobs. - °
~ and provide direct service between Asia and. Nortti Amer-. ;
ica 6 cs
“Unlike. the: former NDP. adriinistration, ‘whieh “Sank .
more than .$400- million of faxpayers’ money: into the: Soot
Skeena pulp mill, this Bovemment is: committed to: long: a
term economic growih. : wow ks fe
Our government: elieves i in building ; 4 ‘stron fourida: moe
~ tion, 50 ive’ have Jobsin not: only today, but also’ for years tore
come.. ;

b

af

“AFTER MONTHS of meetings B. C. s Citizens Assembly has decided to change our current electoral
System and go with a Single Transferrable Vote. It rejected mixed- member proportional representation.

WHAT’S NEXT

— Citizens' Assembly ‘fine -

_tunes proposal. and de- .
cides ‘wording - of. referen- ~
dum question over. next few 7

more than, onc candidate to chose _of MLAs in any. piven area, :
from..

-. While that helps.to guard against:
. Despite: ridings. being arfialgam. “the iorth: becoming, even less repre-
ated he says. MLAs will-’bé more’

“sented i ‘in-the provincial: “goveriiment,:
‘ti ghtly. tied to their constituerits be- “it dopsn’t guarantee-tural and north-
cause - voters “will. choose . -belween’

erm: eletioral: di tricls. any: propor.
- candidates.. ‘and’ ‘candidates’ must ‘ca *: tioraality.”

: os - “Graham Bruce; es
‘Minister of Skill Development and Labour, .
: padtate Vietoria, B.C...

-Reclerinae this when

“more - ‘a¢countable” to" ‘their’ ridings
“and-less tied to ‘party: policy.” :
: “They. have to appeal. fo ihe | peo-

es North: ‘Coast ‘riding: with ‘our: riding:

AS of Skeena,. MLAs will. cater to the’

ca larger commiinity of Terrace.

“Anderson: Says this “will make t

-MLAs-even leis accountable to. their .
constituents, 0°).

: “But Terrace’ 's Michaei Pitchaid

~ ing) ‘the’ party line.” 2+
Pritchard says. “another. advania
-of..the: STV: system is is that every ‘vole:

voter choice : ‘as:
4° Wwell-as stronger a
§ local vepresen-..

“tations. a “x?
. Pritchard,
says., iby, allow
_ing. .parties to"
“Tun: more’ than’.

‘isn't ‘for ‘the: winner: the i
thrown away.
. 2 Pritthard ays he", believes
‘Single ‘Transferable Vote i is :a. wins

“Will, Situation, for, British | Columb
: one. ‘candidate ° a DOG :

Bo ‘ina a riding the: STV system Bives , :
i a “voters more control... cal representation we. actually: gain:
_Jes Under-our. First:-Past ” ‘the. Post “more,” he said: “And on a-proyince~”
, ‘. system, ‘Pritchard: says. people who ” Wide scale, Wwe pet‘a’ grealer. variety’
{Lare -party supporters. often end -up- of Voices in the legislature,”
i-voting: ‘for sameone they: don’t: ‘like,

tO ensure: the: Parly Bels Seals. in, ‘the:
"depislature, 9"

“ST basically: hold ‘iy: nose: and

“Michael Pritchard

“We. maintain:

» Proportignality’ might: not trickle up
: to the:north.:

“” yote for-the’ party," rather than’ the”
. person. aan
“> He says under ‘the. STV ‘ystems: "
: if voters like a party they may. have 7

~ considered - =by’ the: assembly, STV
-means more MLAs i in each: ‘riding. |

sheild, be" no change, to. the number:

vA NEW - ELECTORAL system © being»
“ proposed by the Citizen’s Assembly: may
hy mean big changes to B.C.'s voting system. - -
‘The Single Transferable Vote system will .-
nea two main differences in-the, way ‘we |

| oo a people in power in British Columbia. -*
peed The first is combining ridings. “The-prov--
“ince now hag id eleotoral. districts each with Mo
We ‘one. MLA. *
at Under: the proposed: STV. aystail these
4 districts: will” be combined : and“each: will,
have two or more MLAs?) 2000s
E28 The province will likely end up. ‘with just “one;
Be sf tunder’ thirty. ridings, but. will still have: 79. ee
i. FIMLAs. mri
: fe While: in’ -popilous southern ‘areas" ‘this’
_ 2dcould: mean as many as seven MLAS in one’ ¢
oe district, in northern ‘and rural: areas, it may. ves
- 44 only mean two, 00 ;
ih: Here it’s likely: to ‘mean: nm combining, our.” sic
icelectoral district of Skeena with: ‘one. of. the.

neighbouring districts.

rank candidates;.
= Voters. ‘will puta

B. C VOTERS | may cast. more, than :
‘one vote per ballot in 2008.
-) If the Single. Transferable: Vote. pli one and then: adding’ one to athe.
* system is'accepted by. the people of » result!
“BC. in-May,-voters will have more - .S6 for ‘example: in’ “districts wilh
’ than one decision to; make i in gach: three-MLAs to: be elected, thalnum-?
_ provincial ‘election. 20>
Instead of :voting‘for’ ‘one angi,"
a * dale residents will be-asked to rank -: 20,000, by four (3+1)."-
: candidates i in ‘order of preference, * ee
.) While © the "ranking. ‘might be:.: more:votes they get a seat..
straight: forward the ‘counting of the“
oe ballots i is not. , an ‘from- ‘those - “ballots are then trans.
-°, iThe’broad ideai is “that your ballo “Ferréd..to cai
is ‘passed around; until. tt S used to: rate,
: “elect a. catididaté, <=" =
2 in theory almost every. voler g
| Us Joie: ‘of their preferences. elected,: ;
“4. First alf the first, preferences, ‘1° ’s,
ts counted. to.see if any: of ‘the’ can.”
didates have received the minimum :
~imber of votes to get a’seats”
‘That minimum “number, is cal

“culated by a ee ‘the number: of.

‘elected. doesn't: receive. ‘double the:
A ‘amount of votes she’ needed to gel a:
"stat those vols : are: transferred. ata
“value. less than: one,.

your: ballot is, s. used: to. elect Some

But Anderson, says. that benefit of : 2
“viels of most British: Columbians,” :

“Compared. to! “a Mixed ‘Member “pe

‘Bigger ridings likely |

For exaniple, Skeena could be combined a
with the district-of North Coast to.the west.” -
~-The:new ‘larger: district: would then elect .
twol MLAs to represent the area. - 2
The second major change will be. io. how :

: voiers mark their, preferences, “0-1-2
Instead ofan X-marks-the- -spot-orie: {Vote "
- system, British Columbians will be asked to

I” beside: their fits”
“beside their second: and: so-'}"

_ ‘understanding. how’ those rankings are: used
“10 select: candidates j is considerable: more

S taking the numbérofvotes ‘above.the:.
minimum. réquired and dividing. by:
 (he.mumber: of voles cast. Sor |. 5700
‘divided by 20,000 equals 0.085:
a ber would be: found by dividing the | ey
number. of voles, lets say. it was

will gel 8.5 vats:
-?$o:if any candidate: got 5,00 “OF *:

-plying the number of second préfe
“The second: préferénces, oF “19! Sy.

Otte the: 6,701 ‘ballols. thal “gol: ‘the.
Ait f

“catecives ‘more: than’ Iwice:

~ ¢d, the Volés are'actually. transferred
3 “ata Value preater.than ones.::.

. For cxaniple: if the. candidaie ‘got

6,701 41's then each the second pref."
- erences are transferred at a a valucof _

‘ould’ fesult: for tthe STV. syslem. .
“We're. certainly- nol going 10° gel. dts

cal the north i
ple in-their riding,” Pritchard ‘said: {=
2TH. takes. away party control and loe-

“The : degree. of “proportionality
achieved’ by the, sysiem is dependent

“on how. many; MLAs districts. have:

and; ‘lo’ ‘some degiee,” ow’ people

more pr portional the results tend to"

While southern districts are Tike.
ly-toend up: with.resillts that closely.
Teflect. the,distribution Gf votes -be.
teen parties, that is less likely | here
where rural-and nowthern tidings will:
have two orat- most thrée, MLAs.
Anderson‘ also says’ the’ ‘smaller
parti s.that do win seats in the south

goverhments hostage. ee ye!
“Her-concern-is that’ ffi ‘ringe “patties.”
will be able to push: (hrough’ agendas: |
that “don’t necessarily represent the

She says ‘a -Sitnilar things i is- hap.

thei price was:not:lo, make the g0V-:
“ernment fall,”’ she said
‘Under: the STV: ‘system’ there |

“That s ‘NOt.

Poe :
Volers il have the choice in

; ‘Province-wide vote: on
the’ proposed Single. Trans- ;

‘ ferable, Vote at the same

“time ‘as the. provincial elec-- =:

tion next May. 21, °
. E “The: referenduni must

pass: with ‘support of 60 per:

bar i is high, it does rot. pre-
vent the: ‘urban south from

passing a system northern | a_i

‘ers: reject. -

WAT. it: passes, ‘an. indepen:
“dent” -commission ’- would:

-begin. redrawing: electoral”
-boundaries. and Merging
ridings. -°

‘MW Voters woul cast ballots”
cusing: the Single Transfer--
able Vote in’ ‘the: 2008 3 pro- | i

-vincial. election. : wt

May’ whether they want 16 6 keep oi our”

~The: “assembly will ‘spend “the

ext: few months nailing down'ex-:':
" actly what qestion’ will be pul to the-

1 “wert Soaat uot
_Elecrorat Di sic
fe ion :

» That transfert rate is “calculated by

IF:100 of the second preferénees
go Lo'one ‘candidate: tha: candidate

Ehat- number:is fouind. by multi

hee: VOUS: the candidates. received

LE "tn the: rare ‘case’ ° that a candidate :

‘votes, than the minimum: they need

For éxample if- a candidates -in
ihis sample district gets 11,000 ‘L's
then the second preferences’ on thse: 5

.. NORTH COAST and Skeena could be fused Mogether |
, with: Voters electin ‘two. MLAs for the enlarged nding.

oe 3- E ecsiot for courting

, 0.085.
' Votes cast’ by the. number: of seals

halfots ‘would bé transferred to’ olner

- candidates al_a yalué, of arouiid 2:2.
-So: each vole ‘would: count 25" ‘more:
than LWvo votes...

“Once the second preferences have.

beeit transferred, the counters check’
if the transferred votes have. pushed —
cany. of the other. candidates. over the”
‘5,001 nilnimuin. number. of voles., o

“If'so'd candidate: “gets a Seat the.

second prefererices on the: ballots -
cc transferred using the same meth-
“odas before. 2s
AIP not, ‘then’the’ counters find the

candidate With thé'least-number of

‘I's and eliminate that candidate. “=:
“The: secorid: preferences, on bal-":

lofs-of the: elirninated: candidate are:

‘transferred | al Aull value to the other °

This process ct contifues unl three.

“candidates’ have ‘received: over: the.

5,001, minimum i number of. voles. -

convictions for violent offences, _
~-L.comimend:Ms. Sandecki” ‘for her comments, In. the: oat
“ast. Parliament, my. anti-streét. racing private. ‘member's’ a
“bill was passed and Sent to the justice ‘committee where.)
Toit: died with the election call Fhave® reintroduted thé:bill: >
138 C-230. The bill treats: street ‘facing as an: aggravaling- :

Dear Sit: . :
‘{houghifulness occurred
‘Pat “the -R. EM? Lee: The-

‘| .-CiB.C's.. Stuart: McLean . J.
“The Vinyl Cate" on Oe. oe
23... ae

“seats: ‘tn. the very: “back.
~ row in: the. theatre. One:
ie particular: ‘tem. during’the
. evening’ 5.
[eas “to: publicize’ ‘prod-
~ ucts: produced: by: Stuart :
” McLean - such .as- books, -
“tapes, CD's eter * o

ape generoust y donated. two of
‘|: his.creations to the’ young-

est and oldest ofthe more . ~
than 700 northemers in the ‘alidienice at the pérforniarices _
“1 was the’ lucky’ recipient, to. receive the book by Stuart
“McLean, “ Vinyl Cafe Unplugged," for being the oldest:

: Terrace... ie

, “Bow Mucha Life Is Worth?” in the Oct: 201 issue; lament: _

“ Targer: communities -- -and ‘smaller. ter to constituents rather. than their aa | clairhs 10 be. the: same as the : months. a the next election i is. held

“communities: and rural areds will: be. _ pailes, aa “MMP system,”. Said. Andersoin;, ree. i. Send ‘final recommenda- ; Dear Sir: : ofa}

“less: wellserved.. - He- “says: ‘this. ‘will ‘make: MLAS ‘fetring. to- the: ‘proportionality . that © “tions to. Victoria. .°-  ~ ~ This .is: about “Claudetie! “Sandecki 5 colunin “Is This aoe
She. says -Should” they’ join. the! ’

ing the lack of jail’ time: handed down by. the- courts: for. HS

vate
© disagrees, ls ‘counted... se Rather than proportionality ‘being’ gent of voters, “and. more | circumstance (allowing for, longer’ seniences) forsomeone.
He says-the "IE your fir directly builtin t6. the: sysiem, under - ‘than 50 percent of voters in. |- convicted of one'of-four maior vehicle offences where it:
Een] new system will Wards electing someone then your : STV.it ’s a side-effect. “60 per cent :of constituen- eal. be established that street racing was a factor. oe
_ Mean - ‘greater | "second. vote ‘does: and: 80.;on- until The: more’ MLAs:i in-a. tiding. the: cies. While some . “say that. Te: ‘proposes mandaiory. hation-wide: Suspensions of

| dfiving privileges.to be served: consecutively. to any. otlier a

sentences imposed,

“It would: appear as tholgh people do not. ‘get interested ee
“or upset about the’ use of conditional sentences (home jail): oe
for violent ‘offenders; onenionvsontences it'gancrals Until =
if a violent Incident occurs to; (which they reaches ye ey
: Then, during: ‘elections, voters. become: di racted. ‘by Cg eek
What the various. political parties and'media pundits define...
vas the issues; forgetting about the: € outrage they-feit- before ;
“the: election period... ae Ce,
“Pm not saying. that, health-< care, jabs axes ‘and “other.”
~-Hssueés are: not important, because’ they:are: But many of. 9”.
the i issues  (parculay criminal Justice) ff that: infuriate: Cae:

Pea

- When’ it? 3 lime.to’ ‘BO. to: the lls again, periiaps voters hy,
: should not. forget what raised theirire between elections. :
‘ » Chuck: Cadman,

ct of kindness ae
greatly appreciated |

An ® unusual act “ofe

atre at-ihe performance ‘of

‘My: son and 1 had t two a

performance:

ey |
; ~p-Alleen Frank

. Stuart. McLean’.

‘T acknowledged. this kind gift as I stood up-from, my.

ai back. row’ seat atid gave my-name. ].was’ recognized by.lwa °
* Terrace. leachets. who held seats in the third-row. from: the: oe
: front’ and in the centre of the: theatre:.” faye

; peiniiig . now. inthe: federal govern "present: First :Past_ the Post system - .
“vote’for: the. party,” Pritchard: ‘said, ‘Proportional representation: system, ment, “Or: switch, to. the Single Transferable “MP ‘Surrey. North;)  -"f:
:Wadding, that: he thinks many’ citizens . the’other alternative: ‘that ‘was being“ “Everyone ‘wid “dectaing shat Vote. . Surfey, B.C. Pe ood

: Theti during the’ interinission these’ wo. teacher ‘ap. Jalen

Such, an. act of thoughtfulness” ould:

“About the Mail Bag-

the. Terrace: ‘Standard : “welcomes: ‘letlers.:

‘Aileen | Frank, ae
Terraces B. C.

"hs “Our
address ds 3210. Climon®St, Terrace,. B.C. V8G 5R2.. .
You edn “fax-us. at 250-638-8432 oF e-mail. us at
_ | tensraon@teracessendard, com: Noatlachments, please, =
- Name address and nd phone nuniber required for verif ication,

© proached me, in my: back. row seal,::and- campletely
- shocked me when they. kindly. offered: to, vexchange seats” :

= with my:son and myself.": oo a
T felt it wash ‘tight lo aceup such ani exci 1ge but the. 2
7 teachers, insisted? - oa -
_. ST gracefully. accepted such’a viondert ul ‘thought and’
. for the temaining evenings performance my son‘arid Phad 2.
fl seats of honour so close to observe the’ performiers While © *
., the {wo leacher occupledour seats in. the: very back row... -
0 y: “happen | in

a