Mark Allan Robinson
Encyclopedia
Mark Allan Robinson was the proponent of the first successful campaign in Canadian history to remove an elected politician from public office by use of a recall petition
.
Robinson had been active politically since the age of 18, sitting on various local government committees and boards of directors for non-profit organizations.
In the spring of 1998, Parksville-Qualicum Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) Paul Reitsma
had been caught by Cam Purdy, editor of local Parksville
newspaper, Parksville/Qualicum Beach Morning Sun, writing letters to the editor for years praising himself and signing them under fabricated names.
Robinson organized over 300 volunteers in the riding of Parksville-Qualicum (Vancouver Island
), which included the city of Parksville
, the town of Qualicum Beach, the northern half of the city of Nanaimo, and smaller communities such as Nanoose Bay
and Coombs
/Errington
.
Going door-to-door, volunteers amassed several thousand signatures above what was legally required to force Reitsma out of office during the official campaign period of April 15 to June 15.
On June 15, 1998, Mark Robinson with volunteer Rev. Bill Robinson (no relation) presented the petition to Jennifer Miller of Elections BC
.
The signatures were verified between the dates of June 15 and June 23, with a count of over 25,000 (just over 14,000 required), and an announcement was to be made that the recall petition had enough signatures to force a recall.
On June 23, 1998, Paul Reitsma resigned his seat in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly after being tipped off that the campaign had enough signatures to remove the politician from office.
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
.
Robinson had been active politically since the age of 18, sitting on various local government committees and boards of directors for non-profit organizations.
In the spring of 1998, Parksville-Qualicum Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) Paul Reitsma
Paul Reitsma
Paul Reitsma is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada, for the electoral district of Parksville-Qualicum.Reitsma served as the mayor of Port Alberni and Parksville, prior to his move to provincial politics....
had been caught by Cam Purdy, editor of local Parksville
Parksville, British Columbia
-Demographics:Parksville had a population of 10,993 people in 2006, which was an increase of 6.5% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2006 for Parksville was $55,524, which is below the British Columbia provincial average of $62,346....
newspaper, Parksville/Qualicum Beach Morning Sun, writing letters to the editor for years praising himself and signing them under fabricated names.
Robinson organized over 300 volunteers in the riding of Parksville-Qualicum (Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
), which included the city of Parksville
Parksville, British Columbia
-Demographics:Parksville had a population of 10,993 people in 2006, which was an increase of 6.5% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2006 for Parksville was $55,524, which is below the British Columbia provincial average of $62,346....
, the town of Qualicum Beach, the northern half of the city of Nanaimo, and smaller communities such as Nanoose Bay
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia
Nanoose Bay is a community of about 5 000 people in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located between Nanaimo and Parksville on the Strait of Georgia on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The town is named after a First Nations band related to the Nanaimo Indians...
and Coombs
Coombs, British Columbia
Coombs is a small community on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, situated on provincial highway 4A approximately west of Parksville. Coombs is home to approximately 1,327 people and is renowned for its Old Country Market , Butterfly World , Jessica's waterslide, Coombs is a small community on...
/Errington
Errington, British Columbia
Errington is a small community on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located on Errington Road, off Highway 4, just south of Parksville and Qualicum Beach. It was named after Errington, Great Britain, by Duncan McMillan....
.
Going door-to-door, volunteers amassed several thousand signatures above what was legally required to force Reitsma out of office during the official campaign period of April 15 to June 15.
On June 15, 1998, Mark Robinson with volunteer Rev. Bill Robinson (no relation) presented the petition to Jennifer Miller of Elections BC
Elections BC
Elections BC is a non-partisan office of the Legislature responsible for conducting elections in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
.
The signatures were verified between the dates of June 15 and June 23, with a count of over 25,000 (just over 14,000 required), and an announcement was to be made that the recall petition had enough signatures to force a recall.
On June 23, 1998, Paul Reitsma resigned his seat in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly after being tipped off that the campaign had enough signatures to remove the politician from office.
External links
- http://www.elections.bc.ca/rcl/r98005.html
- http://www.cbc.ca/insite/CANADA_AT_FIVE_TORONTO/1998/6/23.html