- Will your party state its support for STV?
- Will your party direct Elections BC to change to STV if an absolute majority (50% + 1) of voters choose in favour of the new system, regardless of whether the government's imposed threshold of 60% is not achieved?
Here is Carole James' response:
Dear Chrystal Ocean,
Thank you for your e-mails regarding STV. We feel that this important decision about our electoral system needs to be determined by the voters, free from partisan intervention from the political parties.
The rules for the referendum have been set by the government. If the referendum succeeds, the NDP will support its full implementation.
As you may know, the NDP has long supported electoral reform, and we have put forward a model for mixed proportional representation. If the STV referendum fails, we will continue to work for an electoral system that is fair and balanced.
Thank you again for writing
Sincerely, Carole James, Leader
Official Opposition
Translation:
Thank you for your e-mails regarding STV. We don't want to tell you what we think.
With our agreement, the 60 percent threshold for passage of the referendum was set in place by the Liberals. Should we form the government, we therefore will not accept any YES vote which is less than 60 percent - although we would certainly have the option of doing so.
The NDP has long supported electoral reform - of the kind which WE, not necessarily the people of British Columbia, approve. The model of reform we might work toward in the future is mixed proportional representation.
In other words, the answers to the two questions are NO and NO. Which tells me that the NDP, already shown to be hypocrites and opportunists concerning carbon taxes, have revealed themselves to be interested in democratic principles only when they suit them.
[Sent a response to James, asking for clarification of her and the NDP's position. Shall post that to the blog in the New Year or after I get a response, whichever comes first.]
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