The president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has said the province’s electoral system is unconstitutional because it dilutes the influence of people who live in urban and suburban constituencies.

In a phone interview with the Straight, Robert Holmes said the population differentials between constituencies are so great that it undermines the principle of people having an equal and effective vote.

“There are a half-dozen or more ridings that are so out of whack from what they should be that it is just unconscionable,” Holmes said.

In Stikine—the least populous constituency—there were 14,708 eligible voters in the May 12 election. In Comox Valley, there were 49,503 eligible voters—more than three times as many. Langley, New Westminster, Fort Langley–Aldergrove, and Vancouver-Fairview each had more than 45,000 eligible voters, and all three Richmond constituencies had more than 44,000 eligible voters. None of the four Kootenay constituencies had 32,000 eligible voters.

Holmes was counsel to the BCCLA when it successfully challenged the constitutionality of B.C.’s electoral system in the 1980s. He said that he hopes the association can bring forward another court challenge before the 2013 election.

“It’s something that’s going to take a wee bit longer than we originally envisaged,” he said.

In 2008, the B.C. legislature overruled the recommendations of the independent Electoral Boundaries Commission chaired by B.C. Supreme Court justice Bruce Cohen. NDP attorney general critic Leonard Krog told the Straight in a phone interview that he has never heard any British Columbians complain about the fact that many rural ridings have fewer residents than urban ridings. “The issue is effective representation of interests and the people generally,” Krog said.

He added that he thinks it’s much more difficult to serve a far-flung rural constituency. Holmes, however, responded that this could be addressed by providing more funding for constituency assistants and to enable rural MLAs to open separate offices in different locations. He added that the BCCLA will not try to overturn the 2009 election results.