VICTORIA - The petition for the initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST) will be submitted to the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives and petition results by electoral district are now available.  

“Further to the Judgment of Chief Justice Robert Bauman of this date, I am causing a letter to go forward on Monday, August 23, 2010, to the Select Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly that contains the following text: 

Pursuant to section 10 of the Recall and Initiative Act, I have now determined that an initiative petition issued to William Vander Zalm on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 has met the requirements of s. 7 of the Act. 

I have further determined that the proponent, Mr. Vander Zalm, has complied with Part 4 of the Act. 

Accordingly, as mandated by the Act, I am enclosing a copy of the petition and draft Bill” said Craig James, Acting Chief Electoral Officer. 

Under the Recall and Initiative Act, signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each of the province’s 85 electoral districts were required on the petition.  This represents 299,611 valid signatures.  The petition sheets contain 557,383 valid signatures.  6,556 voters registered as canvassers to collect signatures for the petition over a 90 day period.  The results by electoral district are available on the Elections BC website at www.elections.bc.ca/docs/init/IP-2010-002-Results.pdf. 

Initiative legislation came into force in 1995.  Six previous initiative applications have been given approval in principle by the Chief Electoral Officer.  None of them obtained the required number of signatures. 

Elections BC will publish the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Initiative Petition: “An initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST), February 4 - June 30, 2010″ in the fall.  This report will describe the activities Elections BC undertook to administer the petition.  The report will also contain statements of Elections BC’s expenses, a summary of the initiative proponent financing report and summaries of advertising disclosure reports submitted by initiative advertising sponsors. 

-30- 

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

You thrive on teamwork to meet challenging deadlines.

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature.  Our team works together to ensure that we’re prepared to deliver electoral events like elections, referenda, recall or initiative petitions smoothly, efficiently and fairly.  This team works together to ensure that Elections BC is prepared to deliver events by coordinating and supporting cross-program area event teams, providing event planning tools to staff and contracted resources, and by providing monitoring and reporting systems to assess progress during event delivery.

Leveraging not only your ability to create and keep positive working relationships, but also your second-to-none organizational skills and attention to detail, you’ll manage a variety of special projects to plan, manage and deliver electoral events.  Fostering an integrated approach will be key, as work is often performed by teams from different program areas as they pull together to meet tight deadlines.

For complete details and to apply on this exciting opportunity visit: http://employment.gov.bc.ca/home.   

For more information about this position please contact Jennifer Farrow at 250-387-3821.

VICTORIA - The proponent financing report and the advertising disclosure reports for the initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST) will be available for public inspection at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, 333 Quebec Street, 2nd Floor, Victoria, BC,  and on the Elections BC website at 1 p.m., Friday, July 30, 2010. 

Financing reports must be filed with the Chief Electoral Officer within 28 days after the submission of the initiative petition.  The filing deadline for the reports was 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.  The reports include expenses of each filer and information regarding contributions they received. 

The initiative petition financing and advertising disclosure reports are available for viewing as scanned images in Elections BC’s Financial Reporting and Political Contributions system (http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/electoral-finance/financial-reports-political-contributions/ ). 

-30-

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld will be leaving his position as Chief Electoral Officer for the province of British Columbia on June 5, 2010, when his term expires. 

Mr. Neufeld has held his position since November 7, 2002 and has been dedicated to serving democracy in British Columbia through the fair and impartial administration of the provincial electoral process.  He oversaw the administration of two general elections, three by-elections, two referenda on electoral reform, one electoral boundary redistribution and nine recall petitions. 

“It has been an honour to serve as Chief Electoral Officer,” said Neufeld.  “Elections BC is a leader in electoral administration due to the efforts of a dedicated and talented team that is committed to the delivery of electoral democracy in B.C.” 

On May 6, 2010, the Legislative Assembly established a Special Committee to Appoint a Chief Electoral Officer.  Mr. Craig James, Clerk of Committees, has been appointed Acting Chief Electoral Officer until a new Chief Electoral Officer is appointed.  The term of office for the Chief Electoral Officer is two elections plus one year.

-30- 

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - Elections BC announces the launch of the Financial Reports and Political Contributions (FRPC) system.  The FRPC system allows the public to search and download political contribution data and view scanned images of financial reports filed under the Election Act and Recall and Initiative Act. 

The FRPC system has replaced the Political Contributions System (PCS), originally launched in May 2007.  The FRPC is a combination of PCS and the View Financial Reports search function previously available through the Elections BC website.  FRPC now provides an easy and accessible way to search for filed financial reports and political contribution data. 

The FRPC system is available at http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/ or through the Elections BC website at www.elections.bc.ca. 

For assistance with the FRPC system, please contact Electoral Finance at Elections BC (toll free 1-800-661-8683) or by email (electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca). 

-30- 

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA, British Columbia - Elections BC has published the Electoral Management Reference Model (EMRM).  The EMRM was developed in collaboration with other Canadian electoral agencies to provide an understanding of the business of electoral administration within the Canadian context. 

The EMRM provides a solid and shared understanding of the business of election management as it exists today and will facilitate collaboration, shared technology and business practices among Canada’s electoral administrators.  The EMRM is also a useful reference for academics, students and others who wish to understand electoral administration. 

The EMRM is available on the Elections BC website at -
www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/about/what-we-do/#B

-30-

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - In a report submitted to the Legislative Assembly today, Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld recommends changes to British Columbia’s Election Act and Recall and Initiative Act.  

The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on Recommendations for Legislative Change - April 2010 contains 38 recommendations for technical amendments to the Election Act and three recommendations for technical amendments to the Recall and Initiative Act. 

“Numerous provisions of the Election Act need to be corrected or adjusted to allow for effective electoral administration,” said Neufeld.  “All 41 recommendations relate to procedural matters.” 

The report is available on the Elections BC website at www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2010-CEO-Report-Recommendations.pdf. 

As the impartial administrator of the province’s electoral laws, the Chief Electoral Officer does not propose or advocate for significant changes to public policy.  Without making any specific recommendations, 15 public policy topics are raised for consideration by legislators.  They include:

• Provisional voter registration of high school students
• Nomination rules
• Election timing 

Chief Electoral Officers have recommended amendments to electoral legislation following each general election since 1995.  A majority of the recommendations contained in the March 2006 recommendations report were brought forward in August 2008 via the Election Amendment Act, 2008.

-30-

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca 
Website: www.elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - Elections BC has established the signature thresholds in each of the province’s 85 electoral districts for the initiative to end the harmonized sales tax. 

See www.elections.bc.ca/docs/init/hst-sig-threshold.pdf .  These numbers represent 10% of registered voters in each electoral district at the end of business April 6, 2010. 

The initiative petition expenses limit for proponent William Vander Zalm is $921,448.30.  This amount is based on the total number of registered voters at the end of business April 6, 2010.  

For more information, visit the Elections BC website - www.elections.bc.ca. 

-30- 

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca 
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - The 2009 annual financial reports for registered political parties and registered constituency associations are available for public inspection at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, 333 Quebec Street, 2^nd Floor, and on the Elections BC website, as of today at 9 a.m. 

The deadline for filing the annual financial reports with the Chief Electoral Officer for the 2009 fiscal year was March 31, 2010.  These reports are required to contain the following information on 2009 financial activities of each registered political party and constituency association: 

• political contributions accepted
• assets, liabilities, surplus or deficit as at December 31, 2009
• total dollar amount of income tax receipts issued
• transfers of money, goods or services received and given
• fundraising function information
• other income received and expenditures made
• loans and guarantees

A total of 117 reports were required to be filed by the March 31, 2010 deadline.  All entities filed the required reports by the deadline except the British Columbia Conservative Party, and the British Columbia Patriot Party.  These organizations may file their reports by June 29, 2010, if they are accompanied by a $100 late filing fee and, if required, an auditor’s report. 

The 2009 annual financial reports are available for viewing as scanned images in the Electoral Finance area of the Elections BC website (www.elections.bc.ca ).  Also, names of contributors who gave political contributions of more than $250 can be searched using the Political Contributions System.   

- 30 -

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca 
Website: www.elections.bc.ca 

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.

VICTORIA - Petition sheets for the initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST) will be issued today to the proponent, William Vander Zalm.  Registered canvassers have 90 days to collect the signatures of at least 10 percent of registered voters in each of the province’s 85 electoral districts.

In order to sign the petition, individuals must be registered on the provincial voters list as of April 6, 2010 and may only sign a petition sheet for the electoral district in which they are registered to vote at the time of signing.  Signed petition sheets must be returned by the proponent to Elections BC by Monday, July 5, 2010.  Elections BC will then determine whether there are sufficient signatures from each electoral district to proceed with verification. 

Elections BC has 42 days from the date the completed petition pages are submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer to verify that those who signed the petition were entitled to do so.  The proponent must file a financing report with the Chief Electoral Officer within 28 days of submitting the petition. 

If the petition has enough valid signatures and the legislated financing requirements are met by the proponent, the Chief Electoral Officer will send a copy of the initiative petition and the draft Bill to the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives. 

The Select Standing Committee must meet within 30 days of receiving the initiative petition and draft Bill.  Within 90 days of their first meeting, the Committee must either table a report recommending introduction of the Bill or refer the initiative petition and the Bill to the Chief Electoral Officer for an initiative vote.  The next scheduled date for an initiative vote is September 24, 2011. 

The Recall and Initiative Act came into force in 1995.  

- 30 - 

Contact:
Don Main
Communications Planning Officer
Elections BC
Phone: 250-387-1709
Email: Don.Main@elections.bc.ca
Website: www.elections.bc.ca

Elections BC is a non-partisan Office of the Legislature responsible for the administration of the Election Act, Recall and Initiative Act, and conduct of referenda under the Referendum Act.