The decision by the Liberal government to keep the Northern riding's as they are is being seen as a victory for all rural residents in the province.
With the government bowing to pressure yesterday and announcing that they will increase the seats in the Legislature rather than to redistribute them, Northerners have claimed victory in the battle with big government.
The Daily News featured the developments on the front page of the Friday paper.
VICTORIA AGREES NOT TO SLASH THE NUMBER OF RURAL MLAS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, September 14, 2007
Pages one and two
Northern municipal politicians are calling off the dogs following a decision by the Liberals to preserve the number of MLAs in rural B.C., regardless of their riding's population.
The North Central Municipal Association, which represents politicians from 100 Mile House to the Yukon, had been protesting about the proposed reduction in the number of rural MLAs as proposed in the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission's initial report.
"Obviously, our collective outrage to the commission's initial report has been heard loud and clear in Victoria," said NCMA President Eileen Benedict.
"We're absolutely delighted with today's announcement. It will go a long way to addressing the concerns we expressed when the commission held its public hearing recently in Prince George."
Yesterday, Premier Gordon Campbell said the Liberals would bring forward legislation in the fall to ensure the number of MLAs in rural areas will stay the same.
"Since the commission released its initial report on Aug. 15, 2007, we have heard clearly from British Columbians that reducing rural British Columbians' representation in government is unacceptable," said Campbell.
"We are committed to protecting the number of electoral districts in rural British Columbia.
"At the same time, the commission clearly identified growing regions of the province where more representation is needed."
Campbell said the legislation will establish special designations for the North, Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootenay. It will also add an additional five MLA in the Lower Mainland.
The NCMA had developed an eight-point action plan aimed at voicing their opposition to the idea. That plan will now be reviewed given the province's response. The NCMA had formulated an emergency resolution to be put forward at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM)
convention in September. It still plans to push that forward in order to make it absolutely clear to the legislature where local government leaders stand on the issue.
"While we have heard assurances that they won't be reducing the number of MLA's in rural B.C., our members are still somewhat concerned about any potential shift in the boundaries that may result in larger ridings," said Benedict.
"It is clear that our members not only want the same number of MLA's they also want assurances that the current boundaries won't change."
"We also need to point out that even with the guarantee of no reduction in rural MLA's, the reality is that the large metropolitan areas will still get an increase in representatives in the legislature. That in itself could tilt the public agenda further in favour of urban issues, something we'll be watching very closely over the coming years," said Benedict.
Under the existing act, the commission is 'permitted to deviate from the provincial electoral quotient by no more than plus or minus 25 per cent (population),' and only 'permitted to propose electoral districts with deviations exceeding plus or minus 25 per cent where we consider that very special circumstances exist.'
The North Coast, which has more than 50 per cent fewer people than required for a riding, was given a special exemption in the recent commission report, however Skeena and the Bulkley Valley were not, and there was a proposal to massively increase the geographic area in those ridings in order to capture larger populations.
Meanwhile, the Prince George riding stood to lose one MLA in a redrawing of riding boundaries.
With the government bowing to pressure yesterday and announcing that they will increase the seats in the Legislature rather than to redistribute them, Northerners have claimed victory in the battle with big government.
The Daily News featured the developments on the front page of the Friday paper.
VICTORIA AGREES NOT TO SLASH THE NUMBER OF RURAL MLAS
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, September 14, 2007
Pages one and two
Northern municipal politicians are calling off the dogs following a decision by the Liberals to preserve the number of MLAs in rural B.C., regardless of their riding's population.
The North Central Municipal Association, which represents politicians from 100 Mile House to the Yukon, had been protesting about the proposed reduction in the number of rural MLAs as proposed in the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission's initial report.
"Obviously, our collective outrage to the commission's initial report has been heard loud and clear in Victoria," said NCMA President Eileen Benedict.
"We're absolutely delighted with today's announcement. It will go a long way to addressing the concerns we expressed when the commission held its public hearing recently in Prince George."
Yesterday, Premier Gordon Campbell said the Liberals would bring forward legislation in the fall to ensure the number of MLAs in rural areas will stay the same.
"Since the commission released its initial report on Aug. 15, 2007, we have heard clearly from British Columbians that reducing rural British Columbians' representation in government is unacceptable," said Campbell.
"We are committed to protecting the number of electoral districts in rural British Columbia.
"At the same time, the commission clearly identified growing regions of the province where more representation is needed."
Campbell said the legislation will establish special designations for the North, Cariboo-Thompson and Columbia-Kootenay. It will also add an additional five MLA in the Lower Mainland.
The NCMA had developed an eight-point action plan aimed at voicing their opposition to the idea. That plan will now be reviewed given the province's response. The NCMA had formulated an emergency resolution to be put forward at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM)
convention in September. It still plans to push that forward in order to make it absolutely clear to the legislature where local government leaders stand on the issue.
"While we have heard assurances that they won't be reducing the number of MLA's in rural B.C., our members are still somewhat concerned about any potential shift in the boundaries that may result in larger ridings," said Benedict.
"It is clear that our members not only want the same number of MLA's they also want assurances that the current boundaries won't change."
"We also need to point out that even with the guarantee of no reduction in rural MLA's, the reality is that the large metropolitan areas will still get an increase in representatives in the legislature. That in itself could tilt the public agenda further in favour of urban issues, something we'll be watching very closely over the coming years," said Benedict.
Under the existing act, the commission is 'permitted to deviate from the provincial electoral quotient by no more than plus or minus 25 per cent (population),' and only 'permitted to propose electoral districts with deviations exceeding plus or minus 25 per cent where we consider that very special circumstances exist.'
The North Coast, which has more than 50 per cent fewer people than required for a riding, was given a special exemption in the recent commission report, however Skeena and the Bulkley Valley were not, and there was a proposal to massively increase the geographic area in those ridings in order to capture larger populations.
Meanwhile, the Prince George riding stood to lose one MLA in a redrawing of riding boundaries.
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