"We have heard clearly from British Columbians that reducing rural British Columbians' representation in government is unacceptable."
Premier Gordon Campbell, speaking on Thursday regarding electoral redistribution
For sale: Fresh off the press electoral re-distribution maps, never been used, never to be used!
The province may be having a fire sale on maps shortly as Premier Gordon Campbell seems to have over ruled his own Electoral Commission and said that the three Northern ridings and one in the southeast, that were set to see their representation merged into neighbouring ridings will no longer be candidates for redistribution.
The shift of the government’s plans came after a backlash from the opposition and residents in the affected ridings and some internal pressure among key cabinet and backbench MLA’s on the government side of the Legislature.
With public opinion mobilizing across the north against the idea of taking from the rural areas to make the urban ones stronger, it became apparent rather quickly that the boundaries disputes was going to cause his government no shortage of headaches.
Campbell revisited the idea this week, issuing a call for the ridings in question to be left as is, while more seats are added for the under served south.
Where this leaves his electoral boundaries commission is unknown, they have spent the last year or so examining the best way to address the population and representation issue in the province, and were preparing to hold meetings across the province to take feedback on their plans. They can probably save money on the hotel rooms and gas allowances now; the Premier has effectively cut them down at the knees. In effect for the commissioner and his traveling party, it’s now a case of thanks for your help but we don’t need your input anymore.
For sale: Fresh off the press electoral re-distribution maps, never been used, never to be used!
The province may be having a fire sale on maps shortly as Premier Gordon Campbell seems to have over ruled his own Electoral Commission and said that the three Northern ridings and one in the southeast, that were set to see their representation merged into neighbouring ridings will no longer be candidates for redistribution.
The shift of the government’s plans came after a backlash from the opposition and residents in the affected ridings and some internal pressure among key cabinet and backbench MLA’s on the government side of the Legislature.
With public opinion mobilizing across the north against the idea of taking from the rural areas to make the urban ones stronger, it became apparent rather quickly that the boundaries disputes was going to cause his government no shortage of headaches.
Campbell revisited the idea this week, issuing a call for the ridings in question to be left as is, while more seats are added for the under served south.
Where this leaves his electoral boundaries commission is unknown, they have spent the last year or so examining the best way to address the population and representation issue in the province, and were preparing to hold meetings across the province to take feedback on their plans. They can probably save money on the hotel rooms and gas allowances now; the Premier has effectively cut them down at the knees. In effect for the commissioner and his traveling party, it’s now a case of thanks for your help but we don’t need your input anymore.
.
Of interest was the closing line of the Premier's Media advisory on the issue, “We commend the commission for the work they have done so far and we look forward to their final report,”, makes you wonder what ever they may have to say other than to ask about potential EI benefits due to lack of work.
Instead of number crunching and redrawing maps, the government will just issue instructions to create new representation for the fast growing regions, while keeping rural British Columbia’s representation as it was. The new count at the Legislature under this plan will be for 87 elected representatives to sit in Victoria, up from the 79 that currently hold seats at the legislature.
It's clearly the most political solution to a testy issue, one which will provide for no hurt feelings, no angry backroom exchanges among MLA’s, no angry phone calls from those pesky citizens and hopefully the Premier must be thinking, no lost votes on Election Day.
Legislation proposed to keep B.C.'s rural MLA seats
Last Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2007 4:43 PM ET
CBC News
The B.C. government plans to introduce legislation this fall that would increase the number of politicians in the province, following outcry over proposed electoral boundary changes that would have eliminated rural seats.
"We have heard clearly from British Columbians that reducing rural British Columbians' representation in government is unacceptable," Premier Gordon Campbell said on Thursday
Under the proposed legislation, the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission will be allowed to increase the number of MLAs in the province from 79 to 87, as opposed to its original plan to go from 79 to 81.
Three existing districts in northern B.C., as well as the Thompson and Kootenay districts, faced elimination under the commission's preliminary report, released Aug. 15.
Meanwhile, four new electoral districts on the southern coast and one new district in the Okanagan would have been added.
Campbell said the new legislation will protect the number of electoral districts in rural regions, while ensuring representation in growing urban areas.
"We were hopeful that the commission would be able to maintain the number of electoral districts in rural British Columbia within the original mandate," he said.
The new legislation will establish special designations for the North, Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootenay, using the boundaries already established by the commission after their first round of hearings.
At the same time, the commission will be given the legal requirement to increase the number of seats in growing regions of the province by five.
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