Bryce

Caroline King

I am not a fan of Proportional Representation at the provincial level because I worry that without a majority government it would be difficult if not impossible to get anything done. I also worry that the interior would be stuck with Vancouver's choice year after year and while I may be wrong on that, it's something I can't get past. I will have to look into this closer at the civic level before I could answer that. I like the idea of lowering the municipal voting age.

Alison Klie

After having done my research I will be voting for Rural Urban Proportional. When BC was first asked if we would like a change 58% voted yes with the majority being in favour of Single Transferable Voting which is utilized the best in Rural Urban Proportional. I believe that we are due for a change, and voting reform is the best way to do that.

I firmly believe that Single Transferable Voting is the most accurate way to represent voters, if we did put forward the idea of local voting reform I would push for that to be the new system. This video explains it really well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8XOZJkozfI

I would be in favour of a younger voting age. I think that engaging youth is important in order to build an interest in politics. If you're old enough to have a job and be paying insurance you should be able to take on the civic responsibility of voting.

William James Turnbull

1) I support PR because I support Electoral Reform. FPTP benefits the 1%. PR benefits the 99%. No party actually wants PR. We are in a fortunate situation. PR passed the first time in my view & needs to be legally instated. I suspect the 60% threshold was purposely created to defeat it. Quebec's, Scotland's & Brexit's threshold were 50 + 1. BC's PR vote pales in comparison to those referendums.

2) Sure, wards could be looked at. I'd prefer we give neighbourhood associations a chance. They are picking up speed. Apparently Calgary has a powerful neighbourhood setup. I'm biased as current President of the Downtown Neighbourhood Association. We are working closely with other associations.

3) Absolutely lower the age to 16. Scotland, the second greatest country on earth has 😉

Chris Bose

I support proportional representation, we need electoral reform because it doesn't fully reflect the diversity of the community or the people supposedly represented. The current system practically guarantees the same people voting get the same people elected, representing only those issues and not necessarily the community at large. Lowering the voting is a good idea and a return to teaching civics in schools is also a good idea. If you are old enough to drive and have a job, you should be learning how to vote and the issues at stake are about in a community. Stand up! Represent! Vote!

Corally Delwo

I have trouble wanting to support PR because of the situation the province is in now. A minority government is not effective. Here are some of the things I find wrong with PR

1.It makes things easier for extreme parties to gain representation.
Under the system of proportional representation, any party with a high enough percentage of the vote will receive a seat in the government. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. The seldom receive access to the majority coalition and rarely earn an absolute majority, but there is always the possibility that their voiced opinions will gain traction with the general population.

2. It can create political gridlock, just like in any other system of government.
Coalition governments are encouraged to compromise and pursue centrist views. The reality of this type of governing, however, is that each party wants to have its own way with things. That creates a system of government that tends to be indecisive and weak because everyone argues for their own best interests. More gridlock, instead of less, can be created, especially if more than two parties are involved in the coalition.

3. It does not provide direct representation to specific communities.
Under the system of proportional representation, seats are not awarded based on community or district voting. That means those who serve in the government are less likely to focus on local issues as they have no local representation responsibilities. It creates a system of government where more voices can be heard, but fewer actually receive a listening ear. Many communities under this system can come away feeling like they don’t matter to the governing coalition.

4. It is not always wise to compromise.
Even in countries that have encouraged proportional representation, some of the largest changes that have occurred in those societies happened when an absolute majority was present within the government. There are times when a strong majority in the government is required to push through needed reforms.

5. It can be an unstable form of government.
Italy has proportional representation built into their government structures. Over the last 4 decades, the government has been forced to dissolve its parliament 8 times. In Belgium, the negotiations required after their 2010 election to form a governing coalition took 18 months to complete, leaving a crippled government in its place where nothing got done. Having more voices can be a good thing, but it can also create a discord that makes it impossible to government.

PR has certain benefits that allow for greater inclusion and variety. At the same time, greater inclusion can also lead toward higher levels of extremism within the government, while encouraging more gridlock if the political parties are unable to find a pathway toward compromise.

Beat Klossner

I'm absolutely in favor of proportional representation. It will make every vote count and if a party gets i.e 10% of the vote it should get 10% of the seats. It will greatly enhance Parliament with fresh views and ideas and avoid single rule by one party. Instead forces parties to work together in coalitions for the benefit of the Province.
I think Kamloops should consider a reform in municipal voting system as well. We might want to consider some sort of ward system, so as to have much better representation form the north shore Westsyde and east of the city.
For the Board of Education I would love to see a seat set aside for a Representative of the Employees of SD73 as well as a seat for a Student Representative at the table. It makes sense to me to have representation at the Board of Education from the people that are actually working and attending our schools.
At 16 one is allowed and considered mature enough to drive a car and I don't see why somebody should not be allowed to vote as well then at 16.

Shawn Harnett

I am in favor of Proportional Representation, basically every vote will count to define the makeup of the legislature.

With Kamloops stretched so far and wide, it only seems fair that there is equitable representation on council. If not, communities where council men and woman do not reside could very easily be overlooked.

I would love to see the voting age lowered, it will be a long process to have youth engaged in voting and if we can start them at a young age and even incorporate this subject into the schooling system we could see long term gain and more engaged youth.

Dale Bass

I'm in favour of proportional representation because I feel it provides a fairer representation of people. That's why I believe Kamloops will eventually have to adopt a ward system so that all parts of Kamloops have their community voices heard.

Jennifer Adams

I am in full support of looking at lowering the voting age in all elections and I am in favor of Proportional Representation. One possible disadvantages of proportional representation is that it may not produce a majority government but the benefits outweigh the negatives. There is a lot of misinformation that PR will benefit the governing party, not true. Under first past the post government wins 100% of the power with 40% of the votes. Many believe that PR would result in higher voter turnouts as the electorate would come to realise that their votes really count. Whether candidates do not support PR or do support PR, it does not have much bearing on our ability to act as an effective councillor. Steer away from partisan politics and support a candidate because they love the city, are engaged, have a strong voice to represent residents and want to help make the city shine. Strengthening neighbourhood association is one way to make sure council and staff hear the issues from the community.

Stephen Karpuk

My vote for proportional rep is personal and I choose not to share how I will vote. I will share that I have had 3 presentations on this subject, 2 with both sides represented. I have looked into the 3 options of proportional system. I like the MMP system option the best.

I do not support a ward system for Kamloops. I have lived in cities where the ward system is in place for municipal government and I find that the problem is it pits neighbourhoods against each other, plus it invites a party system that also is destructive. I will represent ALL of Kamloops equally when I am elected because we are all equal. All of city Council needs to represent all neighbourhoods of Kamloops and we need to work together.

Given the age of consent to medical treatment in BC is 12, 16 years old is not unreasonable to include in decision making like a municipal election. I have attended 2 high school election forums in Kamloops over the past few weeks. The depth of questions and the level of engagement that these young people have shown at these events is probably more researched and thoughtful than many of the adult ones I have seen or heard.

Thank you for the question. Please get out the vote on October 20th.