Thank you for the reply to my letter of April 27/96. Your reply was dated 29th of May 1996. I must first apologize for my error with respect to enclosure #1. I was in error because I was unaware that there had been a major overhaul of the Elections Act. However, I must take issue with the third paragraph of your letter which states that the matters I raised with regard to a 'None Of The Above' option on the ballot form fall outside the authority vested with the office of the Lieutenant Governor. Under Section 282.1 of the current Election Act SPC Chap. 51 (a copy of which I have included) under the heading "Plebiscites on matters of public concern", the Lieutenant Governor in Council may direct the Chief electoral officer to determine the opinion of voters on a matter of public concern specified by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. I feel that the purpose of this section of the act, which is similar in substance to the previous section of the act it replaces, i.e. 196.1 of my enclosure #1, is to enable interest of a substantive nature which may appear to threaten partisan political advantage, to be brought to formal public plebiscite has been retained by the Crown in the body of the Lieutenant Governor in the Province of B.C. to ensure the well being of the people when it may appear that the fundamentals of good democratic management of public affairs has been undermined by short term speculative capital considerations.

From the opinions expressed in the press it is evident that very few British Colombians were satisfied with the results for the last election, clearly a time for rational reform is at hand and I appeal for a more profound consideration of the reasonable alternative for a none of the above option. Therefore I formally request once more that the Lieutenant Governor, under this section of the Act, call up for public debate, and if necessary by a plebiscite, changes in the ballot re a None Of The Above option which would provide representation through a system of lottery, a system that was practiced successfully for several hundred years by the Greeks of classical times.

Certainly the details could be cleared up if such a public debate could be incorporated. I would personally prefer a gender balance which would provide for a priorities council.

Yours truly,
John Allen West

---