A population shift to major urban centres has led to a proposed readjustment of New Brunswick's 10 federal ridings that would transfer some communities to more rural areas.
An initial proposal involved moving all of Dieppe to the Beauséjour riding. There was considerable opposition from within the current riding of Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe -- arguments ranged from shared community interests to preserving Moncton's francophone political influence.
Instead, the commission's final report, tabled yesterday in Ottawa, calls for a trimming of several smaller communities to Beauséjour and Fundy Royal, reducing Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe's population count.
MAP: New Brunswick
MAP: Moncton and environs
Fredericton has lost communities to Tobique-Mactaquac, New Brunswick Southwest (Lincoln), and Miramichi (Chipman, Minton, Canning, and Northfield) in the proposal tabled yesterday in the House of Commons.
MAP: Fredericton
Smaller changes are in store for the newly-named Saint John-Rothesay, which would transfer part of Quispamsis to Fundy Royal but gain Cape Spencer. Current Saint John MP Rodney Weston proposed the name change.
Other changes include:
- Belledune transferred from Miramichi to Acadie--Bathurst
- The village of Norton from New Brunswick Southwest to Fundy Royal
- Colborne and Durham, plus all of Mount Carleton Provincial Park, from Miramichi to Madawaska--Restigouche
- Harcourt, Huskisson, Welford, and Richibucto Indian Reserve No. 15 from Beauséjour to Miramichi
- Canterbury from Tobique-Mactaquac to New Brunswick Southwest
- Portions of Upper Miramichi transferred to Miramichi from Tobique-Mactaquac, which is renamed Tobique--Saint John River Valley
The last census defined the provincial population at 751,171. Each of New Brunswick's 10 ridings is expected to be "as close as reasonably possible" to 75,117, though a 25-per-cent variance is allowed in either direction when there are "extraordinary circumstances."
The historical trend has been to assign one riding each to Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John, but a continual population shift to those three communities has forced a readjustment.
THE PROCESS
Independent commissions were established in each province to consider the electoral map based on the 2011 census. Thirty new ridings are also being created in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.
Commissioners, appointed by each province's chief justice and the Speaker of the House of Commons, consider geography, history, and population in crafting their proposed boundary changes. Public hearings followed, along with future study by a parliamentary committee for any comments and objections.
From the Manitoba commission report: "MPs will have a further opportunity to offer suggestions on the map within a committee of the House of Commons, but the final decision rests with the Commission."
The final map is provided to the Chief Electoral Officer. The three territories will continue to hold one seat each.
THE LEGISLATION
The formula for determining seats has been adjusted several times since Confederation. Notably, no province can have fewer MPs than Senators, and no province can have fewer seats than they had in 1976.
The opposition NDP proposed their own bill to ensure that Quebec's proportion would remain at the same level (24.35 per cent) as 2006, when the Québécois nation resolution passed. Under Bill C-20, Quebec's proportion of seats falls to 23.08 per cent of the House of Commons.
The Liberals, meanwhile, were worried about the transparency of the electoral commissions and how individuals would be appointed. They opposed both the Conservative and NDP bills, calling for a rebalance of the Commons without any additional seats.
-Andrew Thomson
BRITISH COLUMBIA ** ALBERTA ** SASKATCHEWAN ** MANITOBA **
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