Premier says Electoral Boundary Commission violated mandate
Posted Jun 5, 2012 04:48:45 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s premier says an independent commission has violated its mandate by recommending the provincial government retain four so-called protected ridings for francophone and black
minority groups.
Darrell Dexter says the Electoral Boundaries Commission should have obeyed its terms of reference that require constituencies be within 25 per cent of the average number of electors, a criteria none of the minority group ridings meet.
The mandate was passed last December by a legislature committee with an NDP majority, though the Liberals and the Conservatives dissented from the government’s position.
The commission’s interim report released last Friday relied on another term of reference that permitted its members to consider linguistic and cultural diversity when drawing up boundaries.
Dexter says he expects the commission to change its position in its final report due Aug. 31.
