For Your Information

The B.C. Referendum Questions

In the upcoming referendum on treaty negotiations, voters in B.C. will be asked to vote Yes or No to the following eight principles. The precise wording of the referendum is:

"Whereas the Government of British Columbia is committed to negotiating workable, affordable treaty settlements that will provide certainty, finality and equality, do you agree that the Provincial Government should adopt the following principles to guide its participation in treaty negotiations?

1. Private property should not be expropriated for treaty settlements.

2. The terms and conditions of leases and licenses should be respected; fair compensation for unavoidable disruption of commercial interests should be ensured.

3. Hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities on Crown land should be ensured for all British Columbians.

4. Parks and protected areas should be maintained for the use and benefit of all British Columbians.

5. Province-wide standards of resource management and environmental protection should continue to apply.

6. Aboriginal self-government should have the characteristics of local government, with powers delegated from Canada and British Columbia.

7. Treaties should include mechanisms for harmonizing land use planning between Aboriginal governments and neighbouring local governments; and

8. The existing tax exemptions for Aboriginal people should be phased out."

The referendum will be conducted under the provincial Referendum Act, passed by the previous NDP government. Under Section 4 of the Act, if more than 50 per cent of the validly cast ballots vote the same way on a question stated, the result will be binding on government.

The referendum will be conducted by mail-in ballot, and administered by Elections B.C. Ballots will be mailed to B.C. voters starting April 2, with the last day for returning ballots May 15. The B.C. government will announce the final results shortly after that, once all counting of ballots has been completed.