Premier believes in yes

WHISTLER (CP) — Premier John Horgan says he will take an active role on the vote Yes side in British Columbia’s upcoming referendum to change the electoral system.

Horgan told municipal politicians at the annual Union of B.C. municipalities convention in Whistler Friday the current system of electing provincial governments must be amended and modernized to ensure political parties with 40 per cent of the vote no longer hold 100 per cent of the power.

A mail-in ballot referendum set to conclude Nov. 30 will give voters the opportunity to choose between three forms of proportional representation or support the current first-past-the-post system of electing governments.

“I’m going to campaign as hard as I can in the next month to convince other British Columbians to join with me and take a leap of faith on a change that works in jurisdictions around the world,” said Horgan.

“This is not something that’s never been tried before. Do not be put in a place of fear.”

The Opposition Liberals are opposed to the referendum’s options for proportional representation, with Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson saying the NDP wants an electoral system where one-party majority governments become rare or extinct.

Horgan said proportional representation allows the voices of all voters to be heard.

“I believe the time is right,” he said. “Proportional representation will allow us to ensure every vote matters. I believe we’ll get better outcomes.”

Two previous electoral reform referendums in British Columbia in 2005 and 2009 were not successful.

Horgan told delegates he also expects an economic decision on a proposed liquefied natural gas plant and export terminal that could bring billions of dollars in economic activity to the province’s northwest.