Our second -- and last, at least for a while -- chance for change

Our second -- and last, at least for a while -- chance for change
By Gordon Gibson, Special to the Sun
May 4, 2009

Some rare chances really are "once in a lifetime." For those who care about democracy, just such a chance is scheduled for May 12.

I am not talking about the provincial election itself. Whether the next government is made up of Liberals or New Democrats is important, but also routine. If we make a mistake we will all get another shot at it in another four years.

But also on May 12 we all get a second vote, this one in a referendum to choose a new electoral system (or not.) We can take that opportunity -- or not -- but we can be very sure that if we miss it, the chance will be gone for decades.

The new electoral system we are being offered was designed by year-long, grassroots deliberation of 160 ordinary, randomly chosen British Columbians, half men and half women, representative as to age and from all over the province. What they settled on, after hearing from all of the experts and the public, was the BC-STV system.

I will not repeat the usual details but rather fill in a bit of background.

First of all, why is STV so rare? It is used in Ireland, the Upper House in Australia, and hardly anywhere else.

Why? Because political bosses hate STV. It transfers much more choice to the voters, makes majority government (and thus four-year elected dictatorships) less likely, elects quite a few Independents and gives backbenchers more freedom.

What party boss would like that? (And what voter would not!)

Almost everywhere, it is the politicians who choose the electoral system.

So it is not surprising that most of our elected people are against the new idea. It is natural they think that the system that elected them is a pretty good one. Why change?

There are plenty of reasons for change. The current system isn't working well. Voter turnout is declining, as people turn off because their votes make no difference. More than half the votes in any given election are "wasted" under our first-past-the-post (FPTP) system.

The opponents of STV say it is hard to understand -- "bewildering" said a Globe and Mail editorial.

They must wonder how the average Irish voter can be so much smarter than us, and be so wedded to their STV that they have twice in referendums in the past 80 years pushed back attempts by their politicians to revert to FPTP.

If one wants to talk "bewildering," consider our current system that gives one party, obtaining about 40 per cent of the vote, a full 100 per cent of the power for four years. The other 60 per cent of us are disenfranchised. That is really strange when you think about it.

If you want to know about the machinery, go to www.stv.ca for the details and www.nostv.org for the other side.

The short of it is, if you can rank your favourite candidates 1, 2, 3 and so on, then you are as smart as an Irish person and can handle STV with no problem.

Another thing -- STV uses multiple-member ridings so the ridings are larger (though little more so than the federal boundaries.)

The advantage: In any riding electing three or more MLAs, every Liberal and New Democrat is almost sure to have at least one MLA of their faith that they can turn to for help and a voice, and in the larger ridings, probably a Green as well.

STV will not bring world peace or cure the common cold, but it will be the greatest advance in Canadian democracy in the past 100 years and we can lead the way.

It is a great, great chance. The government has set a threshold of 60 per cent. That means every supporter has to turn out. Don't miss this one.

Gordon Gibson is a former leader of the B.C. Liberal party and public policy commentator.
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