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DECEMBER 21, 2018 | Volume 31 No. 102
FRIDAY
Page B2 is your guide to myriad events in the city and region
KICKING IN FOR CHEER
The students at Western Karate Academy raised more than $9,000 for the cause, while IG and Canadian Tire have also helped out A3, A5
DON’T AGREE Not all Indigenous people agree with protesters’ tactics A16
GIVE A HOOT Fiona Clare is recipient of this year’s SD73 Owl Award A28
WEEKEND WEATHER:
Periods of snow or rain High 4 C Low -3 C
B.C. STICKS WITH FIRST PAST POST KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK
British Columbia voters have overwhelmingly rejected a move to electing MLAs via proportional representation. Results of the mail-in referendum on electoral reform were released on Thursday afternoon, with 61.3 per cent of ballots choosing to remain with the first-past-the-post system and 38.7 per cent of ballots opting in favour of switching to a proportional representation form of electing MLAs. A total of 1,403,358 ballots were returned to Elections BC by the Dec. 7 deadline, which represents a voter turnout of 42.6 per cent. Of those who voted to move to a proportional representation style of elections, the multi-member system was most popular (41.24 per cent), followed by the dual-member (29.45 per cent) and rural-urban (29.31 per cent) systems. Elections BC’s budget for the referendum was $14.65 million. Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar said he feels the results show British Columbians have had their fill of the proportional representation debate and are comfortable with the current system. “It’s time to get on with the process of governing under the current first-past-the-post [system],” Milobar said. Despite the voter turnout being
below 50 per cent, Milobar said he believes the public gave “a solid answer,” but argued the referendum should have been held during a general election, as it was in 2005 and 2009. Local proportional representation advocate Kevin Tyler said the results are disappointing, but noted “change is hard.” Tyler was involved in a grassroots campaign to educate people on the benefits of a proportional system and said he doesn’t believe the issue is over. He said he felt the two-part question circulated was complex and difficult to explain to people, leading to fear of the unknown. Tyler said it was a frustrating campaign because the no side didn’t defend the first-past-the-post system, but rather attacked the proportional system, spread misinformation and focused on fear mongering. “It wasn’t really a balanced campaign that way,” he said. The city’s two electoral districts both voted heavily in favour to keep first past the post. Kamloops-North Thompson voted 68.7 per cent against proportional representation and KamloopsSouth Thompson voted 66 per cent against. The referendum on proportional representation was the third held in B.C. since 2005, with all three failing.
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