One of the things we can’t overlook in the proposed changes to the electoral boundaries is the fact we will be voting, again, on the Single Transferable Vote system.
British Columbians almost approved the voting system change in a referendum during the last election. What was lacking was a map of the proposed electoral boundaries. We now have that map and we’re going to vote again.
For this area, the proposed STV riding would mirror the proposed new regular ridings of Prince George, Fraser-Fort George and Bulkley-Nechako. Those three would be one riding under the STV system and we would elect three MLAs.
It would be a big riding -- 130,000 square kilometres.
First, the proposed STV ridings are still a reduction in MLAs for the North, which would still go from eight MLAs to seven. So, in that respect, STV does nothing for the North. Representation would be reduced.
What STV does do is provide the voter the opportunity to vote for more than one candidate. If we use the 2005 election as an example and look at the three current ridings of Prince George North, Prince George-Mount Robson, and Prince George Omineca, the election ballot would have 15 names on it -- three Liberal, three NDP, three Green Party, and six others. When you vote, you mark your first, second, third choices of candidates.
There were a total of 46,420 votes cast in all three ridings, which means for any one candidate to be declared elected, at least on the first round, they would have to receive 23,211 votes.
In 2005, voters in these ridings cast 22,204 votes for the Liberals, meaning a Liberal candidate wouldn’t have been elected on the first round. With 16,772 ballots cast for the three NDP candidates, they wouldn’t have elected anyone on the first ballot either.
What would likely have happened here is at least one Liberal would have been elected on the second round, and quite likely one of the NDP candidates as well. Under the STV system, if there is no clear winner (50 per cent plus one) on the first ballot, it goes to voters’ second choice. It stands to reason that most Liberals would pick another Liberal as their second choice, and quite likely third. Same goes for the NDP.
However, because both the Liberals and NDP had significant numbers voting for them, it stands to reason that the second MLA chosen would have been a New Democrat.
But what about the third MLA?
With the Green Party candidates securing 3,597 votes (not enough to elect an MLA) it would likely come down to the second or third choices of those who voted for the Green Party candidates. It’s anyone’s guess if that would be a Liberal or a New Democrat.
One thing is certain, under the STV system, and our current boundaries, it’s unlikely we would have three Liberal MLAs. It’s open for debate as to whether that’s a good thing. Having three MLAs sitting on the government side is good, having three MLAs in opposition isn’t. It shouldn’t be that way, but it just is.
Will the STV system be beneficial for the North. It gives the voter more options and makes the election process a little more exciting. However, the bottom line is, under the current proposal, the North would still lose an MLA and that is not acceptable.