Update: Referendum Brings Leader To Vernon

Oct 12, 2018 | 4:14 PM

BC’s Liberal leader says there are too many question marks around changing BC’s electoral system.

Andrew Wilkinson is in Vernon today leading a town hall meeting on the proportional representation referendum.

He stopped in at Beach Radio, where he talked about the impact a change could have on the Vernon Monashee riding.

“Right now everybody knows who the MLA is for Vernon Monashee, it’s Eric Foster, and if they like him, they’ll re-elect him. If they don’t, they’ll move him out. Under prop rep, there will be a much bigger riding. And the NDP won’t tell you what the boundaries are, they won’t tell you how many votes you have, they wont tell you the machinery of what they’re planning, so you’re taking what the Vancouver Sun has called a leap into the dark if you vote for proportional representation,” Wilkinson told the station.

Wilkinson, MLA for Vancouver Quilchena, says the outlook for the Okanagan under “Prop Rep” is also uncertain.

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“The question for the Okanagan is how it would be carved up under the new system because they won’t show us maps and tell us what riding you’ll be in. So would Vernon be in with parts of Kelowna, would Vernon be with the entire Okanagan, would Vernon be with Kamloops?”

Wilkinson says people have to take the referendum seriously because it could affect the fundamentals of our democracy.

“The NDP are in cahoots with the Greens trying to feather their own pockets with this, and what they want to do is get the Green Party in office for evermore, so they can control the balance of power.”

He and the Liberals support keeping the current first-past-the post system.

Andrew Wilkinson talks to Beach Radio News about what proportional representation could mean to Vernon.

BC’s Opposition leader is in Vernon today.

Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson is taking part in a Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Predator Ridge, followed by a town hall meeting from 4 to 5:30 at the Schubert Centre.

Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster says the topic is the upcoming electoral reform referendum.

“It’s a town hall meeting for people to come out and express their concerns or opinions, yay or nay, and ask questions about proportional representation and/or first past the post,” Foster tells Beach Radio News.

The mail in referendum is set to start Oct 22nd, and running until Nov. 30th.

Click here for more details.

The Liberals want to keep the current first past the post system, while the NDP and Green parties are supporting a change to proportional representation.

If a proportional voting system is approved and adopted, it must be in place for provincial elections called on or after July 1, 2021.

A provincial election called before this date would use First Past the Post.

by Corey Fischer