Majority rules
Government tables legislation that sets out margin of victory, other guidelines in electoral reform referendum
It could take more than half of the people who vote in the next provincial election to get a change in P.E.I.’s electoral system
That’s the threshold set out in legislation tabled Thursday, which sets out the guidelines for a referendum on electoral reform coinciding with the next provincial election.
Justice Minister Jordan Brown, who tabled the bill, said if more than 50 per cent of voters in the next election choose to change the electoral system then it can be seen as something that represents the will of Islanders.
“It’s a pretty fair representation of what I certainly would feel and what a lot of Islanders would feel would be fair,” he said.
The threshold set out in the Electoral System Referendum Act comes after a non-binding plebiscite in 2016 that saw a 36.5 per cent voter turnout.
Mixed member proportional representation was the top choice, but the Liberal government didn’t implement it citing low voter turnout.
When Islanders go to the polls in the next election, they will have the option of voting in the referendum with a yes or no question on whether the system should change to mixed member proportional.
The legislation also provides for $150,000 in funding for groups running campaigns in support of or opposed to a change to the electoral system.
That funding will be split evenly between the yes and no sides, but they won’t be able to raise any outside funds aside from what the government provides.
Brown said the funding of $75,000 for each side creates a level playing field.
“It’s really all about fairness,” he said.
A referendum commissioner will also be appointed to oversee the process.
Under the legislation, the commissioner would be in place by June 1 and appointed by the legislative assembly.
With the bill still up for debate in the house, Brown said the government isn’t claiming it’s the final version of the legislation.
“I think that Islanders will find that we will be very open to changes to this legislation so long as they’re well thought through and so long as they result in referendum legislation that will have a binding impact and be technically sound,” he said.
Green Leader Peter BevanBaker, who has been a proponent of proportional representation, said there were parts of the bill he liked, including the appointment of a referendum commissioner.
He also said there were problems with the bill, including timelines involved.
“Good things but questions to be answered,” he said.
In the lead-up to the 2016 plebiscite, the Green party and the NDP were part of the P.E.I. Coalition for Proportional Representation.
Under the proposed legislation, political parties wouldn’t be allowed to have a role in the groups campaigning for either side in the referendum. That’s fine by Bevan-Baker. “I think taking the political parties out of this is a really good idea,” he said.
Bevan-Baker also said he thinks the government funding for the campaigns is a good use of public money.
“I think this is a really important issue,”
Opposition Leader James Aylward said he feels tying the referendum to the provincial election will lead to a good turnout.
“We will get a clear picture of how Islanders feel on electoral reform,” he said.