A pie chart showing a poll that demonstrates high agreement (65%) that British Columbians want a party's share of the vote to match the share of seats it wins in the Legislature.

An Open Letter to the Premier of BC and the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform

Transition Kamloops  December 12, 2025 at 10:59 am

To: Premier David Eby

MLA Jennifer Blatherwick, Chair of the Special Committee

MLA Ward Stamer, Deputy Chair of the Special Committee

 

An Open Letter to the Premier of BC and the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform

December 12, 2025

Dear Premier Eby and Members of the Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform:

Congratulations to the Committee on completing the hard work of public hearings and compiling the report. I appreciate the sincere effort to hear from British Columbians and I am very pleased to see your 36 comprehensive recommendations.

While all the recommendations are worthy of consideration, I hope that these two will rise to the top in terms of priority:

35. Consider establishing a peoples’ assembly to examine and make recommendations, in consultation with experts, on the model for electing members of the Legislative Assembly.

36. Consult local governments to determine the level of interest in alternative electoral systems for municipal elections.

The fact that 93% of the submissions to the Special Committee on voting systems recommended proportional representation and that only 2% advocated keeping our current first-past-the-post system is unsurprising. British Columbians want a party’s seats in the Legislature to match their share of the vote, a long-standing trend that was confirmed in an EKOS poll last month.

I look forward to the People’s Assembly being convened shortly to allow the electoral system to be changed before the next election. We’ve had enough of the divisive hyperpartisanship that is a design feature of our current system.

I’m also excited to see the consultation with local governments take place. The 2022 municipal election results in Kamloops are a perfect example of how the current system allows vote-splitting to determine outcomes. Had voters been able to rank their preferences for Mayor and Council, we would likely have avoided the current fiasco in our City Hall.

Thanks again for your work, and I look forward to seeing swift action on these recommendations.

 

Gisela Ruckert

Kamloops, BC

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Transition Kamloops

Transition Kamloops is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness. We emphasize a local economy, healthy ecosystems, and grassroots community building, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. We believe in a better way: a community that sustains life in all its diversity, strives for equality and justice and invests in the future.

Transition Kamloops recognizes that we are living on Secwépemcul’ecw—land that was never ceded to settlers, and continues to be home to vibrant Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions. We acknowledge the impact of colonization, forced displacement, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. We commit to listening, learning, and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities as we work towards reconciliation.

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