Rally Shows a United North

Wednesday, September 05, 2007 06:34 PM

Don’t diminish representation from the route that provides the loot!

That was the message delivered to a rally prior to the start of the Electoral Boundaries Commission hearing in Prince George.

About 250 people from all over the Central Interior and the North attended the session at the Prince George Civic Centre.

The President of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, Garth Frizzell, (click here for a video clip of Garth's presentation) told the crowd he will be telling the Commission that to base their decisions on projections of reduced population is wrong because the future is so very bright for the north.

The President of the North central Municipal Association says an emergency resolution has been drafted for inclusion at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities convention, and the NCMA is committed to winning the battle.

Prince George North MLA Pat Bell is the first presenter on the agenda for the hearing, Although Bell will also have an opportunity to make a presentation later at a session set for MLA’s Bell says it is important to speak out now “This isn’t about being an MLA, I am a northerner, and this is about being a person who lives in the north.”

There were some common themes evident at the rally

The north is united in its stand against the electoral boundary changes that would reduce the number of MLA’s from 8 to 7
Geography is an issue
There is a growing feeling in the north that the rural and northern reaches of the province are feeling disconnected with the provincial government.
The region believes it provides a good portion of the wealth that is enjoyed by the lower mainland and is not getting its fair share of return
The north will not give up the fight.

Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley thanked all who took part in the rally and who would be making a presentation to the Commission. ( click here for a video clip of Mayor Kinsley)

The Chair of the Regional District of Fraser Fort George, Art Kaehn, also promised to press the issue ( click here for clip of Art Kaehn).

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Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 06:34 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Gofaster on September 5 2007 8:04 PM

Tell them what you like Garth Frizzell ,they ahave already made up their minds, this was just an informal formality.And Mr Bell is terrified that he might be the one getting fired so he might, repeat might make a little noise, if he can stop drooling on his chin long enough. Be careful though Mr Bell, remember "PAUL NETTLETON".

Posted by: skabowl1 on September 5 2007 8:36 PM

I am no longer living in the north but I do believe that there should NOT be a reduction of MLA's. It is true that the influence weilded by most of the province will gradually increase as more and more of us silly folk move to this little triangle of the lower mainland but there is no need to take from the north to incrase the south

Posted by: owl on September 5 2007 9:18 PM

The province is divided into regional districts - 28. Give each 3 reps as MLA. That makes 84 ......

End of story ..... representation by regions which have common characteristics and are already governed by a Board. Get rid of the boundaries commission and save some dollars. Changing boundaries for purposes of representation is an archaic notion.

There are 7 or 8 regional districts in the north. So we would have 21 to 24 representatives.

Posted by: Chadermando on September 5 2007 9:49 PM

Owl, first reaction is thats a good idea until one realizes that Grater Vancouver would then only have 3 MLA's for 2.5 million people.

I don't think it would be wise to throw it back in their face like that, but rather a better idea would be to blend their boundaries that their representatives came up with in the Electoral Boundaries Commission, but with the condidtion that each of the 20 proposed BC-STV ridings have an equal representation of MLA's.

20 BC_STV districts as currently proposed
X 4 MLA's per district
= 80 MLA's for an increase of 1 MLA in election year 2013.

In the mean time cancle the Electoral Boundaries Commission and any changes to the ridings for the 2009 election.

Gordon Campbell has the powers of a dictator in the Premiers, office and thus his party and government. In the end his opinion will be the only one that matters. At any time he can make it so from 4 MLA's to the BC-STV proposed boundaries, to respecting the vote of 59% of the pro-BCSTV vote last provincial election.

Posted by: owl on September 5 2007 9:50 PM

Maybe the COmmission should have read this 2 year old dialogue.

http://www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca/Community/Down%20Loads/UrbanRpt.pdf

The two solitudes of BC - Urban and Rural .... and the commission is building the fence between the two a few feet higher. How will this benefit the province as a whole? This is not much different than other types of historic resource based imperialistic domination.

Posted by: Chadermando on September 5 2007 10:05 PM

Any decision now by the Electoral Boundaries Commission will unduly influence the outcome of the BCSTV and as such is a conflict of interest.

Given the razors edge that separated BC from approving the BCSTV last election the legislature should put an end to the boundaries process until that issues is settled.

The current proposal to remove 2 MLA's from the Prince George trading area is designed to make BCSTV less effective in protecting the voter from political parties in this region. This is because the most effect BCSTV district is one with 4-6 MLA's per district and eliminating 2 from this region ensures the Northern BCSTV ridings will all be 2-party dominated 2 seat BCSTV ridings.

The current MLA's need to drop party loyalties on this issue which could be the most defining issue for this region in the next 100 years.

The MLA's need to stand up to the premier and the leader of the opposition and say that BCSTV needs to be Triple EEE BCSTV and no boundary changes until after the 2009 election in the event BCSTV fails the next referendum.

The Electoral Boundaries Appointments should not be determining our democracy, it should be the grass roots recommendation of the Citizens Assembly jury of BC Citizens.

Posted by: Chadermando on September 5 2007 10:15 PM

Under the Triple EEE BCSTV Northern BC would have 12 MLA's... 16 if you included the Cariboo.

Greater Vancouver would have 32 MLA's... 40 or exactly half if you included the Fraser Valley East and West BCSTV ridings.

Vancouver Island would have 12 MLA's the same as the North, but they would also have the capital city.

Okanogan would also have 12 MLA's the same as the North, and the Island.

The Columbia-Kootenay would retain their current 4 MLA's.

Everyone would be happy and the horror show of the Lower Mainland growth curve would be capped at the political power it could attain at no more than 50% of the provinces MLA voting power in the BC Legislature.

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN for all regions involved IMO.

Posted by: opinionated on September 6 2007 12:17 AM

Gofaster,
You seem to complain a lot about PG. If you hate it here so much, move.

Let�s see where did Paul Nettleton go?Hmmmmmmm Siberia?

Pat Bell is doing a fine job as is Shirley and John. You need a reality check!

Posted by: jonnypg on September 6 2007 12:56 AM

Gofaster as a right to have a opinion just like you or I do!

Posted by: Gofaster on September 6 2007 5:35 AM

Complain, or acute observation...
Yes there are a couple of issues that I am very opinionated about.
I like PG but there some issues that keep popping up that I don't like...
If you , "opinionated" have a different thought than I do,
you are most welcome to it.

Posted by: owl on September 6 2007 7:50 AM

"Mr Bell is terrified that he might be the one getting fired so he might, repeat might make a little noise"

You may feel that way. So tell me, why is Carol James complaining? With a centre city boundary which soes not take in the area north of the Nechako, the NDP stands a very good chance of winning a seat for the riding restricted to PG City. She should be juilant.

Can people not have other things in mind other than self preservation of a job? Not everyone is like you, Gofaster.

Posted by: owl on September 6 2007 7:53 AM

"if he can stop drooling on his chin long enough"

"Complain, or acute observation"

That is not an acute observation of fact. It is an unfounded opinion.

I have never seen him drooling on his chin. You must be thinking of Jay Leno.

;-)

Posted by: Gofaster on September 6 2007 2:44 PM

Yea ok owl,
But when the lines are redrawn I am sure there will be a lot of job preservation tactics going on between the three, unless Mr. Campbell shifts one of them to another riding.
But for now I would almost wager that there is a fair bit of job concern amongst the three.
As for drool, I admit that I may have taken some literary licence there, and unfairly so...