The planned provincial referendum on using proportional representation to elect future B.C. governments is a non-starter for B.C. Liberal Party leadership front-runner Dianne Watts.

Dianne Watts, who will make two appearances in Kelowna today to drum up support for her bid to succeed former Liberal leader Christy Clark, says the NDP governmentsa国际传媒檚 plan to hold the referendum next year is sa国际传媒渂ad for our province,sa国际传媒� particularly for those living in rural communities.

sa国际传媒淭his legislation will divide British Columbians, taking seats out of rural B.C. and moving them into urban centres,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭his is a significant issue as it will reduce the representation of rural communities. Letsa国际传媒檚 be clear, proportional representation gives a bigger voice to one part of the province at the expense of the rest of B.C. I want rural B.C. to have an equal voice, not less.sa国际传媒�

The NDP government announced plans for the referendum earlier this month. It was one of the promises made to the Green Party in return for support in defeating Liberals after it won the last springsa国际传媒檚 provincial election by a one seat, formed a minority goverment but could not overcome a joint NDP/Green vote of non-confidence.

sa国际传媒淭his is (Green Party leader) Andrew Weaversa国际传媒檚 bill and itsa国际传媒檚 flat out wrong,sa国际传媒� said Watts. sa国际传媒� He knows this is his only path to political success and it is the crux of the coalition.sa国际传媒�

She said there is nowhere else in Canada using proportional representation sa国际传媒渇or a reason.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭he sa国际传媒榝irst-past-the-postsa国际传媒� model is at the heart of our democracy and it works,sa国际传媒� said Watts. sa国际传媒淧roportional representation will result in more unstable minority governments and the kind of backroom deals we are witnessing in B.C. right now.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淔irst past the postsa国际传媒� is the system currently in use, where the winning candidate in a riding get the most votes. The party that wins the most ridingssa国际传媒攐r seatssa国际传媒攚ins the election and gets to govern.

There are a number of different forms of proportional representation and the type that would be used in B.C., if the referendum is approved, has yet to be determined.

The federal Liberal government included a pledge to change the electoral system federally during the 2015 election campaign, but has backed away from that saying it feels there is not a consensus across the country for a particular way to change the federal electoral system at this time.

That controversial flip-flop has garnered criticism from many who believed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he pledged during the 2015 campaign that vote the would be the last time Canada used the first-past-the-post system to elect a federal government.

Watts said not only would a change to proportional representation hurt rural B.C., the planned referendum success thresholdsa国际传媒�50 per cent plus one in favoursa国际传媒攚ill put rural communities at a significant disadvantage in having their voice heard in the discussion.

sa国际传媒淭he structure of the referendum is wrong,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚f urban B.C. decides this is a good idea, rural B.C.sa国际传媒檚 voice wonsa国际传媒檛 even be heard.sa国际传媒�

Watts plans to discuss a variety of issues facing B.C during her stops in the Okanagan, including proportional representation.