Well this is exactly the reason why we should all get out and vote BCSTV process in the next election.... Its because Carol and Gordon don't really believe in democracy and if your not their candidate... then they will find someone that will. No politician should have this power... and so the BCSTV system should be approved so that we can decide when we get a ballot that has a choice, rather then a lesser of two evils.

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As an aside people might want to take notice how Ireland currently uses a system that closely resembles the BCSTV system in its vote transferability and its the only true democracy in Europe today. This week Ireland as a result gets to vote in a referendum that the other 500 million EU numbers can only dream of. Ireland gets to vote on whether or not to join a bankster lead undemocratically accountable appointed bureaucracy of the sovereignty destroying sacrifice of a people nation. Only Ireland gets to vote on whether or not to join, and thats because only in Ireland are the politicians truly at the ballot accountable to the citizens. All other countries of the EU are controlled by political parties (that will soon be outlawed if national parties in nature), and these political parties have negotiated a new constitution for the people of their countries that the the political parties never want the people to vote on, but gives away everything in their nations, and yet as per usual the people (citizens) had no part in the negotiations.

So my prediction is that because Ireland is a democracy (second wealthiest nation per capita in Europe now), that as a result they will use their powers that they have reserved for themselves as citizens to reject this back door EU constitution... and in doing so will give their 500 million European neighboring wanna-be slaves a second chance to redeem themselves, and see the light of the idea of democratic grass roots accountability for any EU future.

Time will soon tell....

Rafe's explanation is only partly valid. The provincial NDP has had a rule for many years that "at least" 50% of each constituency executive must be female. In practice, for whatever reason, that is barely achieved in most parts of the province.

I suspect that this will be the same for candidate selection. Rafe is wrong in saying that it restricts candidates to women. It also includes other groups that are often discriminated against, whether male or female. Even with that I suspect that men will be chosen in some of the constituencies. Men are not forbidden to run as candidates, despite Rafe's coments.

I am always a little suspect when I see Rafe Mair, a former Socred Cabinet Minister, giving advice to the NDP with the intention of improving their numbers in the Legislature. I'm just not sure how valid his recommendations would be.

We had two Federal lame duck female NDP leaders and I'm beging to wonder about Carole James. The best person needs to be chosen to represent us being either male or Female.

Ms Carr from the Greens was an example of what a leader should look like. She had a lot of fire and its unfortunate that she represented the wrong party.

And as for BCSTV. Forget it. It would only add more confusion and would probably make the undesirables like Gordon Campbell even more powerfull. I would not bother to cast a ballot if it were to support someone other then a party that I believed in.

We had a none partisan government at the turn of the last century and it was abandoned for a partisn system.

Cheers

Rafe:"How else can one explain the idiotic decision that all retiring MLAs must be replaced by women candidates!"

Has the NDP made this decision or not? If it indeed has done so - then, Rafe is NOT wrong in saying that it restricts candidates to women!

Candidates to replace retiring MLAs, that is.

Eventually, since all present male and female NDP MLAs will retire (in due time) all BC NDP MLAs will be female.

Men who wish to get into politics will have to choose a more democratic party, one that believes in a system based on merits rather than on the *correct* gender.

If you had a choice of 4 NDP candidates on the ballot don't you think it should be your choice to decide in what order of prefference you would like to see them elected.

What if the party only has a male in your single riding and that is the only choice you have, but the other three ridings have women and even one of the liberal ridings was a woman and possibly a strong woman ran as an independent on a woman specific issue?

Bridge, don't you think it would empower you to have that choice yourself (to select and not select that candidates), rather than have party leaders (who are influenced by shadow powers) making that decision your behalf?

The argument that only the lesser of two evils is simple enough for the voter to understand is a defeatist attitude that looks down on the voter as incompetent to make decisions as to who the best candidates are for elected office. If that was the case then why do we even both to vote at all?

Also what do people have against the concept of requiring a 50% majority to actually get a seat in the legislature. I think a lot of it has to do with civic education or lack of it IMO.

Adrian Carr did have way more fire than Carole James, but managed to self-implode or cut off her won feet at the starting gate, just like James.
Rafe, I'm 100% behind your opinon. Yes we should have more women candidates but let's get them by getting them involved and using the same rules as everyone else. Stack a nomination meeting like anyone else!

The only way to solve our political woes is to eliminate political parties altogether. That way, we vote for the best candidate and won't be held hostage to a party agenda that is opposite from your MLA that doesn't belong to the leading party. Changing the ballot is a facade it won't solve the behind closed door lack of accountability to the electorate. Premiers would run separately as would Cabinet ministers. Cabinet minister botches, gets demoted and we vote a new one in...simple. Premier would have to be a successfully elected MLA. He/she musses it up we get to pick a new one without having to wait four years :)

applecork thats all fine, but the reality is we only have one shot at this and that is the Citizens Assembly option that was decided on through a democratic jury including every riding in the province that is the only option that will be on the ballot at the next provincial election. So your option may be great, but how will you get it on the ballot.

BCSTV however... is on the ballot....

I feel if the citizen who votes has a choice to ignore a nominee that is undesirable or extremely partisan... they can then make a point to select other nominees from that party as their primary choice, thereby empowering the voter to make every politicians seat unsafe at election time... because no politician can use the lesser of two evils negative politics to win their seat with 38% of the vote empowered by fear politics and extremists.

Instead with BCSTV politicians will fear losing favor and will have to earn that favor, because the lesser of two evils doesn't work as well when there are many to chose from... including from your own party on the same ballot. MLA's will answer to their constituents before they will answer to their party because it is no longer just the party that is on the ballot alone, and now the candidate will have to earn their position on their own merits as well... or be substituted by the voter by others from their own party in a voter initiated revolution from within party politics driven through the ballot process of empowered voters.

The power of the lobbyist will take second place in this process, and that is what is most important of all.