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Fellowship a Chance to Reconsider How We’re Governed

UBC graduate Andrew Seal wins the first Merv Adey Memorial Fellowship to examine the upcoming referendum on electoral reform.

Barry Link 10 Jul 2018TheTyee.ca

Barry Link is the editor of the Tyee.

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Andrew Seal.

The Tyee is happy to announce that Andrew Seal is the winner of the first Merv Adey Memorial Fellowship. He will work with the Tyee to produce a feature series examining the electoral reform referendum facing B.C. this fall.

A recent graduate of the UBC Masters in Journalism program who has written for CBC Indigenous, the Yukon News and the Globe and Mail, Seal impressed the fellowship’s selection committee with a strong grasp of the subject area and a clear sense of his approach in telling the story for readers.

"Andrew demonstrates an impressive understanding of the issues surrounding proportional representation,” said Nick Adey, a selection committee member. “He is well-versed in how these issues connect to the context of governance in British Columbia. We are optimistic that his work will provide a truly independent and balanced resource for British Columbian voters as they consider their choices in the coming referendum." Seal said the coming referendum, with voting starting Oct. 22, isn’t just a question of changing how B.C. votes. It’s also a chance to reconsider how the province’s people are governed and represented.

“An informed vote will require a comprehensive understanding of our current system in addition to the proposed alternatives,” said Seal, who has spent much of his life overseas and lived in five countries. “For me, the Merv Adey Fellowship is a unique opportunity to put all this information in one place. The upcoming series on proportional representation will offer Tyee readers everything they’ll need to know before casting their ballots this fall.”

Merv Adey was a passionate British Columbian and a regular and welcome fixture on the Tyee’s comment boards. Following his passing in 2017, his family and friends sponsored the fellowship in his name to promote journalistic excellence and insightful debate on electoral reform.  [Tyee]

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