From media release, issued today...
Fair Vote Canada AGM shines spotlight on electoral reform
Vancouver, B.C. - Prominent Canadians of all political stripes will be in Vancouver this weekend to encourage BC voters to adopt a new way of voting that could set a new standard of fairness for elections all across Canada.
Fair Vote Canada will hold its annual general meeting this weekend in Vancouver to mark the importance of the upcoming referendum in BC on May 12. Fair Vote Canada, a national organization dedicated to electoral reform, is putting its full weight behind BC-STV (single transferable vote).
“BC-STV will bring more accountability and local representation to the BC legislature,” says Larry Gordon, executive director of Fair Vote Canada. “British Columbians deserve a fair voting system that yields real voter choice, good geographic representation and results proportional to the popular vote.”
Fair Vote Canada brings together like-minded Canadians from all walks of life and counts among its board of advisors such distinguished leaders as environmentalist David Suzuki, former BC cabinet minister and broadcaster, Rafe Mair, famous B.C. artist Robert Bateman and Dr. Margaret Fulton, well-known educator and dean of women at UBC as well as an officer of the Order of Canada.
“All across Canada, politicians will be watching BC closely on May 12,” says Arjun Singh, president of Fair Voting BC. “We have an historic opportunity to lead our nation and showcase BC as a leader in electoral reform not only in North America but around the world.”
The Fair Vote Canada annual general meeting takes place Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Segal School of Business at Simon Fraser University, 500 Granville St., Vancouver, Room 1200-1500. The public and media are invited to attend. For more information, visit www.fairvote.ca
On May 12, in a province wide referendum on electoral reform, voters will have a chance to make history and change the way politicians are elected. British Columbians will choose between the current “first-past-the-post” system and the STV system that was recommended overwhelmingly by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. In the last election, BC-STV received more votes than any political party, nearly 58 per cent. However, the referendum requires 60 per cent approval to be adopted by the government.
More information about the STV system and how British Columbians can get involved in the campaign is available at www.stv.ca or by calling 1-866-835-7612. Voters can also join the online discussion about electoral reform through the Facebook group “Yes for BC-STV” and www.twitter.com/BCSTV.
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If you live in Vancouver or otherwise can attend this event, I urge you to do so. Wish I could go!
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