Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Government to legislate confirming referendum on electoral reform


BC GOVERNMENT NEWS:
 
The BC government is introducing legislation to allow British Columbians the opportunity to vote in a confirming referendum on electoral reform, if a majority votes in this fall’s referendum to change B.C.’s voting system.

BC Attorney General David Eby
The legislation will fulfill a commitment made by the Province, based on recommendations from the Attorney General’s report on electoral reform.

“It will be up to British Columbians to decide whether to change our province’s voting system, and it should also be up to British Columbians to decide whether to keep a new voting system after they’ve tried it,” said David Eby, Attorney General.

“By legislating a confirming referendum after two general election cycles, our government is giving voters a safety valve to revert to the previous voting system after an opportunity to actually experience both systems.”

This fall, voters will decide whether to keep British Columbia’s existing First Past the Post voting system, or change to a system of proportional representation. If voters choose to change the system, the proposed amendments to the Electoral Reform Referendum 2018 Act would require a confirming referendum on whether to keep the new system.

“This confirming referendum would allow British Columbians, not politicians, to have the final say on the voting system,” said Eby.

“If, during either referendum, voters decide that the current system is preferred, the Government of B.C. will be bound by law to respect that decision.”

These amendments require that government conduct a confirming referendum within 13 months after two provincial general elections that use the chosen proportional representation voting system. For example, if scheduled general elections occur in October 2021 and October 2025, the confirming referendum would occur by Nov. 30, 2026.



FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Elections BC information on the 2018 referendum on electoral reform: https://elections.bc.ca/referendum/

Attorney General’s report and recommendations for the 2018 referendum on electoral reform:
https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/271/2018/05/How-We-Vote-2018-Electoral-Reform-Referendum-Report-and-Recommendations-of-the-Attorney-General.pdf

Recent changes to the Election Act: https://news.gov.bc.ca/15423

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The NDP is destroying BC's softwood industry as 100 Mile House mill shuts down and jobs vanish

No more than a few days after the province hosted its much-touted summit to discuss the continuing impact of U.S. softwood tariffs, and with Statistics Canada reporting another decline in BC’s softwood production, the axe has fallen on West Fraser Timber’s 100 Mile House mill. Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo–Chilcotin , says the devastation now hitting the South Cariboo is what happens when government ignores every warning sign coming from the forest sector. “One hundred and sixty-five people in 100 Mile House just lost their jobs,” said Doerkson. “That’s 165 families wondering how they’ll pay their bills and whether they can stay in their own community. The ripple effect will hit every business on main street, from the gas stations and restaurants to the grocery stores.” “The Minister’s thoughts and prayers aren’t enough for those families facing unimaginable hardship. It’s time this minister did his job and not another photo op,” said Doerkson. “The Minister thinks the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Premier’s Office Acknowledges Richmond Residents Affected by Cowichan Land Claim Face Issues on “Mortgages, Property Sales”

“The Premier’s Office is secretly sending letters to my constituents behind my back. If the NDP were truly committed to transparency and supporting residents, they would have proactively engaged with owners years ago, not rushed out last-minute letters to cover their tracks.” ~~ Steve Kooner, Conservative MLA for Richmond-Queensborough and Opposition Critic for Attorney General Steve Kooner, Conservative MLA for Richmond-Queensborough and Opposition Critic for Attorney General, is criticising Premier David Eby and the NDP provincial government for secretly delivering non-committal, last-minute letters to Richmond residents affected by the Cowichan Tribes land claim. For over six years the NDP misled British Columbians on the implications of indigenous land claims. Premier Eby is now quietly sending staff to conduct damage control following public fallout from his 2019 strategic directive for government lawyers not to argue extinguishment of aboriginal title, even over p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kamloops woman’s cancer test cancelled due to Interior Health mandates for OB/GYNs (iNFO News)

A Kamloops woman’s cancer screening appointment was considered urgent by her doctors and scheduled within weeks, but it was postponed indefinitely when Interior Health ordered her gynecologist take that day’s on-call shift. Troylana Manson now waits with the mystery of whether she might have cancer amid a staffing crisis for women’s health care specialists in Kamloops. “I was happy to have that appointment in December so we could rule this out, but now it’s thrown in the air again. People in Kamloops, certainly people in positions of power, need to realize what Interior Health is doing”  ... CLICK HERE for the full story
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more