Electoral Boundary Commission Appointed

A select committee of the legislature today named nine appointees to the Electoral Boundaries Commission. The commission will review the size and borders of the existing 52 provincial ridings.

The nine individuals are Anne Dillman, Halifax Regional Municipality; Colin Dodds, Halifax Regional Municipality; Douglas James Hill, North West Lunenburg, Lunenburg Co.; John Kitz, Halifax Regional Municipality; Ron Landes, Halifax Regional Municipality; Hayden Landry, Tusket, Yarmouth Co.; Andrew Malloy, Cape Breton Regional Municipality; Ian Spencer, Antigonish; and Candace Thomas, Halifax Regional Municipality. Mr. Dodds will be the commission chairman.

In the event that any of the appointees are unable to serve on the commission, the select committee will name a replacement.

"I am very pleased with the recommendations of the select committee; I think we have appointed a very capable and independent group of commissioners," said Michael Baker, Attorney General and chairman of the Select Committee on Establishing an Electoral Boundaries Commission.

The commission will conduct public meetings before preparing a preliminary report. After the preliminary report is made public, additional public meetings will be held. A final report from the commission will then form the basis of legislation that will define the constituency boundaries. The commission is to present its final report by May 30, 2002.

The commission will strive to attain ridings of equal voter population wherever reasonable. Riding sizes may still vary to allow for geography, community history and interests, and to promote minority representation, particularly Acadian and Black people. The House of Assembly Act includes a process to establish Mi'kmaq representation.

"While equivalent voter populations is the preferred goal, it isn't always practical," said Mr. Baker. "The commission has leeway to encourage minority representation and to take into account the burdens placed on representatives from rural ridings."

Before naming the commissioners, the select committee held public meetings in Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Yarmouth, Bible Hill and Halifax. Thirty-one people made presentations and an additional seven submissions were received.

The select committee included members of all three parties:
Michael Baker, Neil LeBlanc, Rodney MacDonald, Jane Purves, Brooke Taylor, Frank Corbett, Howard Epstein, Paul MacEwan and Manning MacDonald.

The House of Assembly Act says that a select committee will establish a commission to review electoral boundaries every 10 years. The last review was in 1991.