The consensus among B.C. voters is clear: there is no consensus.
With 41 per cent of the vote, the B.C. Liberals secured 49 per cent of the seats on election day. The Green Party got nearly 17 per cent of the vote, three seats, and seemingly 100 per cent of the power.
Green Party leader Andrew Weaver seems intent on using that power to introduce electoral reform to an electorate that has already had the pleasure. Twice in recent memory, voters roundly rejected changing a bizarre system that values voters in Peace River South nearly four times more than votes in Saanich North and the Islands.
If there was a referendum, many of us might well favour a move to proportional representation – but there needs to be a referendum.
The Green Party’s showing was remarkable, and their ability to pull votes from both NDP and Liberal supporters may indicate a widespread appetite for a change from politics as usual and an end to corporate and union campaign donations.
However, 17 per cent is still a country mile from a mandate. As such, we’d recommend a more proportional response from Weaver.
And if we are going to introduce proportional representation in this province we need to have a debate that elucidates just how British Columbians with the good sense to live outside Metro Vancouver will be represented.
Unless the seat counts change next week (which could very well happen) the Green Party is poised to play king for the next term.
Like all new kings, we hope they keep their heads.
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