MLA Andrew Wilkinson has some serious concerns about our legislative assembly. He feels the New Democratic Party is stuck in their agenda and have put everything out for consolation in regards to Site- C, ICBC, and Marijuana becoming legalized.
If Proportional Representation becomes a reality, it could be a dramatic change to our voting system. This structure could contain large ridings; accommodating the idea that if a party gets a small percentage of the vote, they still get a seat in legislature. The only way to accomplish that is to create several big ridings; there could be one for all of Northern British Columbia, one for the Kootney Region as well as the South-Okanagan. Smaller communities like Revelstoke or Golden, could have no representation at all because the multiple MLAs we have to vote for are based elsewhere. From a Revelstoke point of view, there would not be an MLA that would be looking out for our best interest, and furthermore, could easily lose track of who our local MLA is.
When asked what could happen to our current MLA, Doug Clovechok, Wilkinson states:
“Under a proportional representation system there could be seven MLAs. You would vote for 4 of them, and it could be a great big mega riding called Kootney-Okanagan, the other three would be chosen off of party lists… It encourages the development of dozens of small parties, if they get roughly 5% of the vote in the riding, then they are entitled to have a member. Those people are chosen off a party list province wide, so you could get two NDP or two Liberal, then three picked off the list for the Marijuana Party, Christian Heritage Party, you name it. They would come from, all likelihood, out of your area…so they would have no accountability at all.”
Wilkinson has started a petition with close to 2000 signatures to date to fight Proportional Representation.
Andrew Wilkinson is the MLA for the Vancouver-Quilchena area. Wilkinson is running for BC Liberal Leader in the next election.
