I started calling "now
premier" Gordon Campbell the most dangerous man in BC when he, Geoff Plant and
Mike DeJong started their anti NISGA'A lawsuit and started calling for a
referendum on Native Land Claims. the date I remember most was Sept 30,
1999 when Gordon was the closing major speaker at the UBCM (Union of BC
Municipalities). He called for the referendum and 1400 people roared with
approval. I was sitting with Chief Harry Nyce (one of three signatories
to the NISGA'A treaty) and his wife Deanna at the time and I can only say that
I felt a great feeling of shame at the time.
One and a half years later,
Gordon appeared as a guest on INGRAM, my now defunct SHAW television program
and I pleaded with him to cancel the land treaty referendum and the anti-NISGA'A
lawsuit. I suggested that both were so divisive that they were driving
investment out of the province BEFORE he became premier. In fact, I blame
(premier in waiting) Gordon Campbell's "expected to be enacted" policies for
the major downturn in the provincial economy in the last two years of the NDP
reign.
My executive clients were
leaving BC in droves and they all said the same thing. When Campbell is
elected it will take another ten years to get the land claims settled.
When Campbell, DeJong and Plant started their lawsuit, the handwriting was on
the wall and executives with major companies were leaving for the US or other
countries because they wanted to dig a mine, or build a new pulp mill, or lay a
pipeline instead of sitting around for ten years waiting to get some certainty.
Most left for less money but
at least they were getting a chance to "do" something.
The Throne Speech made an
apology to the Native People of BC. I will bet that Iona Campagnola found
her apology to the Native People of BC from the Premier of BC to be one of the
finest and most satisfying speeches she has ever had the opportunity to
present. Her speech was an open admission that the former policies of
the provincial liberals (both as opposition and government) were wrong,
devastatingly wrong, dead wrong. If the liberals will put their money where
their speech was, this province CAN get moving again and move from a have not
to a "have" province again.
Gordon DID
make one real positive statement on that Mar 8, 2001 program with me. He
promised a Citizens' Assembly within one year of taking office. He did
not make the promised year, but the throne speech did promise the vote during
the next election. I and many others would have preferred to have the
next election take place under a new voting method. However, one more
will have to do. If you have read this far, good on you. Now please
read Nick Loenen's piece on electoral reform in BC, PEI and the rest of Canada.
If you have some time, please consider joining FAIR VOTING BC and / or FAIR
VOTING CANADA. If you have a couple of spare twonies, send them to NIck.
Read on!
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 4:30 PM
Subject: UPDATE
UPDATE
e-newsletter of Fair Voting BC Feb 11,
2003
SPEECH FROM THE THRONE
Today=92s announcement that the BC Liberal
government will proceed with the long
promised Citizens Assembly on Electoral
Reform is a huge milestone on the road to a
more democratic voting system. In the
coming weeks the Legislature will be asked
by government motion to initiate the
process, largely as recommended by the
Gordon Gibson Report.
Also, the Speech confirmed that should the
Citizens Assembly recommend a change in
voting system the question will be placed
before all British Columbians in a
referendum conducted in conjunction with the
next election on May 17, 2005.
The Gibson Report has not been made public
yet. But, when it and the government=92s
response are made public, British Columbians
will know precisely how and when they can
participate in grass-roots democracy the
likes of which this province has not seen
before.
For this the government deserves full
credit. This, together with the fixed
election date legislation makes the BC
Liberals leaders within Canada on democratic
reforms. While other governments talk this
government is acting.
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS FROM 34 CANADIAN
UNIVERSITIES CALL FOR NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON
ELECTORAL REFORM
One-hundred and three political scientists
from 34 Canadian
universities have joined the call for voting
system reform in Canada. The list of
electoral reform supporters includes four
former presidents of the Canadian Political
Science Association (CPSA), the current
secretary general of the International
Political Science Association (IPSA) and a
former IPSA secretary
general. The political scientists have
endorsed a petition organized by Fair
Vote Canada, which states: The present
voting system wastes millions
of votes, distorts election results and
denies fair representation to many
Canadians. We call on the Government of
Canada and all other
Parliamentary parties to: 1) initiate a
public consultation on
instituting a more proportional voting
system; and 2) provide Canadians with a
referendum process to choose the best voting
system. =94As citizens and experts who worry
about the quality of Canadian democracy,
political scientists are now raising their
voices together," said University of
Toronto's Dr. Sylvia
Bashevkin, a former president of CPSA. "The
re-evaluation of our voting
system must become an urgent priority for
Canada."
PEI COMMISSIONER ON VOTING REFORM APPOINTED
Premier Pat Binns announced on Tuesday that
retired Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island,
Honourable Norman H.
Carruthers, has accepted an appointment to
head the Prince Edward
Island Commission on Electoral Reform.
Binns advised that the work of the
Commission would begin immediately and its
focus would be on consulting with Islanders.
He expects an interim report to be submitted
in the fall and the Commission's final
report completed in 2004.
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON PUBLIC POLICY
(IRPP)
The IRPP sponsored conference on The Reform
of Democratic Institutions is scheduled for
March 4, 2003, Royal Toronto Museum.
Speakers include Jean-Pierre Charbonneau
(Quebec minister responsible for Democratic
Reforms), Dalton McQuinty (Leader of the
Ont. Liberals), Ed Broadbent, Gordon Gibson
and Nick Loenen.
FVC'S THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED
Mark April 25-26 on your calendars for Fair
Vote Canada's third annual conference and
AGM on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
NEW ZELAND EMBRACES MORE VOTING REFORM
Several cities, including Wellington, have
accepted the Single Transferable Vote for
their local elections recently.
Fair Voting BC Board of Directors
President John Vegt; Vice President
Robert Ransford;
Secretary Stuart Parker.
Directors
Karen Etheridge; Aaron Jasper; Steve Kisby;
Nick Loenen; Rowan Shaw;
Julian West; David Marley; Patrick Conroy;
David Schaub
Advisory Board
Gerry Ensing, Former Inspector of
Independent Schools
Norm Levi, Former Minister of Social
Services
Andre Molnar, Developer
David Suzuki, Environmentalist
Fair Voting BC 5611 Jaskow Drive, Richmond,
BC V7E 5W4
Tel. 604-274-3868
E-mail
mail@fairvotingbc.com
Website
http://www.fairvotingbc.com
