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David Raymond Amos‏ @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others



Methinks Conservative spin doctors need to be quick on the draw if they want to read what the ghost of comments past posts about matters before CBC ignores free speech and makes his words evaporate N'esy Pas?



https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/06/province-has-until-fall-to-appoint.html



#nbpoli#cdnpoli



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-electoral-riding-boundaries-1.5614026

Province has until fall to appoint commission that would redraw electoral boundaries

At time of COVID restrictions, commission would have to hold public hearings, report by next spring

Jacques Poitras· CBC News· Posted: Jun 17, 2020 7:00 AM AT



The Blaine Higgs government must appoint an independent commission to redraw electoral riding boundaries that would keep with population shifts. (Government of New Brunswick)

Pandemic or no pandemic, the Higgs government is facing a looming deadline to start the redrawing of the province's 49 electoral riding boundaries.

A provincial law requires the appointment of an independent commission by October, followed by public hearings and a preliminary report by next March.

Those hearings would have to take place while COVID-19 measures are still in effect in the province, including restrictions on indoor gatherings of more than 10 people.

Taking guidance from Public Health 

Premier Blaine Higgs said in a statement that the commission will be appointed on schedule "so it can undertake its vital work."

He said the province "will take guidance from Public Health and other officials on how the commission can undertake its important outreach with New Brunswickers, in relation to the risks posed by COVID 19."

The law requires a redrawing of electoral boundaries every 10 years to reflect population increases and decreases.

That's to ensure that each riding has roughly the same number of voters so that political representation is roughly equal.

"In order for the population to be effectively represented, it's important that the boundaries be looked at [and] that they do reflect changes in population shifts, demographics, and whatnot," said chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth.


For the population to be effectively represented, chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth said boundaries need to reflect changes in population shifts across the province. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

Poffenroth's office organizes and regulates elections but plays no direct role in the creation of the commission.

But earlier this year she did remind staff in Higgs's office that the process would have to start soon.
"I just wanted to make sure they were aware there was a time limit there that was coming up," she said.

Commission must be in place by fall 

Under New Brunswick's fixed-date election law, the next scheduled provincial vote will take place on Oct. 17, 2022. The commission must be in place no later than 24 months before that, meaning this fall.

It's an automatic requirement that must go ahead given the government has not introduced any legislation to delay the timeline.

The law that dictates the creation of the commission is also exempt from proposed new emergency powers now before the house that would let the cabinet suspend existing provincial laws.

The timeline requires a preliminary report within 150 days of the commission being appointed, which means around mid-March 2021.

• Higgs scraps legislation to increase emergency powers of government and police

After a 14-day public comment period, the commission must issue a final report within 30 days, which means new ridings would probably take effect in May.

That introduces a new variable into speculation about election timing.

If the Higgs government were defeated next spring in a budget vote and an election were triggered, parties would be contesting existing ridings while knowing that a new map with new ridings was on the verge of being finalized.

If a campaign were triggered just a few weeks later, the new map would be in effect, and newly formed party associations would have to scramble to organize membership lists based on the new boundaries and to nominate candidates.

Adding rural constituencies 

In the last redrawing in 2013, rural and northern areas lost seats to reflect their shrinking population, while the Moncton area, with its booming population, gained a riding.

The law at the time required ridings to have populations within five percent of a provincial average.

That forced the commission to create huge rural constituencies to stay within the legal range. The village of McAdam was added to the same riding as St. Stephen and St. Andrews.

• Is your neighbour in a different federal riding? This is why

The constituency of Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin runs from Boiestown to Escuminac, a drive of more than two hours.

Francophone groups threatened legal action over the 2013 map, arguing placing the village of Memramcook in the new majority anglophone riding of Memramcook-Tantramar would reduce the voting clout of francophones.

They dropped the legal action after the Liberal government of Brian Gallant updated the law to let riding population sizes deviate from the average by as much as 15 per cent.

Deviations of 25 per cent are allowed in "extraordinary circumstances" to ensure effective representation of anglophone and francophone communities, making it possible to accommodate Memramcook during the next redrawing.

The commission is to be made up of anglophone and francophone co-chairs and three to five members.

They're chosen based on recommendations by the legislative administration committee, which, for the first time since the boundaries law was created, has no government majority and is made up of MLAs from four parties.

Cutting MLAs to reduce political pressure 

Earlier this year Higgs mused about how cutting the number of MLAs might reduce the political pressure on governments to spend more money on projects in ridings.

He said at a news conference that he would leave it to the commission to consider how many there should be.

In fact, the existing law establishes the number of ridings, not the commission, and the government hasn't introduced legislation to reduce the number from 49.






50 Comments





David Amos

Methinks I heard another Higgy flip flop N'esy Pas?

"Earlier this year Higgs mused about how cutting the number of MLAs might reduce the political pressure on governments to spend more money on projects in ridings."











Lou Bell
I expect we'll be hearing from Methinks , leader of the 4 member " Me Party " shortly . Joe and Tony and James .






























Joseph Vacher
Not a good day to be a liberal in NB............ caraquet is going to lose some seats


David Amos 

Bruce Sanders
First step is, how many MLA do we really need? NB has the third highest per capita in Canada. Not saying we need 11 (Ontario's per capita equivalent). 20 MLS is more than enough.

Decide this first, then set up the commission . All you MLAs who do not want the number to be smaller, shame on you for wasting taxpayer money.


David Amos 

























michael levesque
whats the point? the french vote liberal and the English vote conservative,


Johnny Almar 




























David News
If the purpose of redrawing the electoral map is about making sure that voting is equal across the province. Why are we wasting our time with the old and tired, first past the post style of election.
That allows someone with 1 vote more that the other candidates to win the election. Never mind that means the could have 25% of the riding's votes +1 and win. That is a joke, there should be a requirement to have at least 50%+1 to win a seat.
Maybe it is time to bring in 1st vote, 2nd vote... Where if no one gets sufficient, the ballots are re tabulated based on the voters second choice.
As it stands now we do not have a democracy. we have a contrived popularity contest.






























James Smythe
Sweeping police powers to card innocent citizens, mandatory vaccinations with notwithstanding clause protection, and we’re gerrymandering now too? Since when did NB vote in the Republicans?


Johnny Almar 


























Gerry Ferguson
Sure. Appoint a commission and pay big money that we don't have. Just leave the boundaries where they are. Most of the population centers haven't moved.































Johnny Almar
Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
Electric word life it means forever and that's a mighty long time
But I'm here to tell you there's something else (go crazy)
If you don't like, the world you're living in
Take a look around you at least you got friends
Come on lady for friendly word
She picked up the phone, dropped it on the floor
Ah, ah is all I heard
Are we gonna let the elevator
Bring us down, oh, no let's go
Let's go crazy, let's get nuts
Look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go
All excited but we don't know why
Maybe it's 'cause we're all gonna die
And when we do, what's it all for
Better live now before the grim reaper
Come knocking on your door
Are we gonna let the elevator
Bring us down, oh, no let's go
Let's go crazy, let's get nuts
Look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go
Come on baby let's get nuts
Yeah, crazy
Let's go crazy
Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let's go, go crazy
I said let's go, go crazy
Let's go, let's go, go, let's go
Dr. Everything'll Be Alright
Make everything go wrong
Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill
Hang tough children
He's comin'
He's comin'
Comin'
Take me away


Ben Haroldson