FVC commends NB commission for PR recommendation (January 19, 2005)

January 19, 2005

FVC COMMENDS NEW BRUNSWICK COMMISSION FOR PR RECOMMENDATION (January 19, 2005)

Today's recommendation for a new mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system by the New Brunswick Commission on Legislative Democracy has drawn praise from Fair Vote Canada.

"We are very pleased with the Commission's recommendation," said Fair Vote Canada president Wayne Smith. "The proposed system would go a long way toward making voters equal and every vote count. No system is perfect, but this modified form of proportional representation (PR) would be a major improvement over first-past-the-post voting. We call on Premier Lord to support the Commission's proposal to have a referendum on the new system no later than the 2007 provincial election."

Smith also noted the New Brunswick proposal is far superior to the MMP system currently being proposed by the Quebec government. The New Brunswick Commission has proposed a system with 36 single-member riding seats and 20 list PR seats elected within four approximately equal size multi-member regional districts.

The 36 single member riding seats would continue to be elected by first-past-the-post voting. Voters in each of the four multi-member regional districts would also elect five MLAs from closed party lists on the basis of the party vote received within the region. Parties would be required to reach a minimum five per cent threshold in the separate party vote on a province-wide basis in order to be eligible to win any list PR seats.