Electoral Reform - NDP - Liberal Agreement?

Attorney General Geoff Plant warmly received the news that the NDP is supporting electoral reform but added that he isn't convinced that proportional representation is the way to go. So there is no misunderstanding, everyone ought to read the actual motion that passed:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BC NDP endorse the recommendations of the BC Committee to Review the Electoral Process as outlined in its Report entitled "Reform of BC's Electoral System: An Idea Whose Time has Come," namely:

1. that the BC NDP urge the Provincial Government to establish a Commission to study the voting system in BC and to make recommendations on how the system may be reformed so as to achieve a greater measure of proportionality;

2. that the BC NDP endorse an open and democratic process for reviewing the electoral system; accordingly, any proposals for reform of the voting system must be debated in the Legislature and ratified in a provincial referendum; And

3. that the BC NDP endorse and campaign vigorously in favour of the principle of a Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system which would combine single member constituency representation with a form of proportional representation.

Compare points 1 and 2 in the NDP resolution with the following two promises made on page 30 of the BC Liberal's New Era Document:

Amend the Election Act to Appoint a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform to assess all possible models for electing the MLAs, including preferential ballots, proportional representation, and our current electoral system.

Give the Citizens' Assembly a mandate to hold public hearings throughout BC, and if it recommends changes to the current electoral system, that option will be put to a province-wide referendum.

Both the NDP and the BC Liberals are committed to a process that includes a referendum on any recommendations. The NDP position adds that it will campaign in favor of a "Mixed-Member Proportional" system. There are many different types of "Mixed-Member Proportional" systems as the resources provided below demonstrate.

Resources: www.fairvotecanada.org
                  www.fairvotingbc.com
                  www.makevotescount.org.uk
                  www.electoral-reform.org.uk
                  www.mmp.org.nz
                  www.fairvote.org