B.C. agrees to redraw province's electoral map

The British Columbia government has found a way to redraw the province's electoral map, giving urban areas greater representation without offending rural voters.

Last month, the B.C. Electoral Boundaries Commission recommended that six new ridings be added in urban areas.

But under the plan, two seats would have been dropped in the Prince George and Cariboo-Thompson regions, reflecting a diminishing population in rural regions of the province.

After that proposal was given a chilly reception from MLAs on both sides of the provincial legislature, however, the commission came up with an alternative.

The new proposal would increase the number of electoral ridings in B.C. by six to 85 without dropping any rural seats.

On Thursday, a motion by Liberal Party house leader Mike de Jong to have the plan adopted was accepted. It is expected to become law before the next election in May 2009.

De Jong said retaining the rural ridings and adding ridings in urban areas like Metro Vancouver will ensure that voters across the province are properly represented.

But the B.C. Civil Liberties Association is condemning the retention of lower-population ridings, saying it undermines the principle of voter parity, and it's threatening to challenge the new election map in court.

"If the government proceeds with this plan, the BCCLA will go to court to seek orders protecting constitutionally guaranteed voting rights of all British Columbians from this unconscionable attack on fundamental freedoms," association president Jason Gratl said in a release.

De Jong said the motion will lead to legislation that should be passed during the spring session in order to take effect in time for the next provincial election, on May 12, 2009.