TRUDEAU - Proportional Representation . . .

[Oscar]

Trudeau would end first-past-the-post electoral system, make every vote count

[ http://www.yorktonnews.com/trudeau-woul ... -1.1969575 ]

Joan Bryden / The Canadian Press June 16, 2015 02:00 AM

OTTAWA - Justin Trudeau wants this fall's national vote to be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post electoral system.

And, if the Liberal leader becomes prime minister, it may also be the last election in which Canadians can choose not to vote, as well as the last in which the only way to vote is by marking an X on a paper ballot.Changing the way Canadians vote is just one element of a sweeping, 32-point plan to "restore democracy in Canada" that Trudeau announced Monday.

Some of the measures have been previously announced, such as strengthening access-to-information laws; empowering backbench MPs by allowing more free votes and beefing up legislative oversight by Commons committees; and ending partisanship in the scandal-plagued Senate.

Others are new or build upon previous commitments. Among other things, Trudeau promised a Liberal government would:— Reform question period in the House of Commons so that one day each week would be devoted solely to grilling the prime minister.

— Impose spending limits on political parties between elections, not just during election campaigns.
— Appoint an equal number of men and women to cabinet and adopt a government-wide appointment policy to ensure gender parity and greater representation of aboriginal people and other minorities.
— Create performance standards for services offered by the federal government, complete with streamlined application processes, reduced wait times and money-back guarantees.
— Create individualized, secure online accounts for Canadians who want to access all their government benefits and review key documents.

Perhaps the most ambitious promise, however, is Trudeau's vow to do away with first-past-the-post (FPTP) in time for the next election.

The current system badly distorts voters' choices, allowing a party to win the majority of seats in the House of Commons with less than 40 per cent of the vote, and delivering wildly different seat counts to parties that win similar shares.

Trudeau promised he'd introduce electoral reform legislation within 18 months of forming government. The legislation would be based on the recommendations of a special, all-party parliamentary committee mandated to fully and fairly study alternatives to first-past-the-post, including ranked ballots and proportional representation.

The committee would also explore the notions of mandatory voting and online voting.

The Liberal party sought grassroots reaction to the notion of legally compelling Canadians to vote, as is done in Australia, in a survey last summer. But Trudeau has not committed to take it any further until now.

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First-past-the-post has long been viewed as the primary culprit behind declining turnout, contributing to Canadians' belief that their votes don't count.

Trudeau personally favours replacing it with preferential balloting, in which voters rank their first, second, third and subsequent choices. If no candidate receives an absolute majority on the first ballot, the last-place candidate is eliminated and his or her supporters' second-choice votes are counted. That continues until one candidate receives over 50 per cent.

However, Trudeau has also said he's willing to consider proportional representation, a more complex reform for which there are a variety of possible models. Essentially, it involves electing multiple representatives for each constituency, with the seats divvied up in proportion to the share of votes won by each party in each riding.

[Oscar]

Liberal 'Open Government' Plan Would Allow Advocacy Work By Charities

[ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/16 ... 92530.html ]

CBC Posted: 06/16/2015 5:00 am EDT

EXCERPT:

In recent years, the Conservative government has cracked down on what it calls "excessive political advocacy" by some charities. Some 60 charities have been audited since 2012 for their so-called political work, including Environmental Defence and Dying with Dignity. Some have lost their charitable status.

Opponents have slammed the government for trying to stifle criticism of Conservative policies.

The Liberals would not end the audits per se, but would instead end what the party calls the "political harassment" of charities. Trudeau will promise new rules for charities while still maintaining they can "develop and advocate for public policy in Canada."

The details on what those rules will be will come at a later date.

Easier tax filing

The Liberals will also propose new changes to help Canadians file their taxes — promising, for instance, that the Canada Revenue Agency would be more "proactive" in helping Canadians take full advantage of the tax credits available to them.

For example, if a parent forgets to claim a particular child tax credit, the revenue agency would actually contact the individual in order to help them make the change to their tax form.

The policy would also suggest the CRA could actually file taxes for Canadians if they have not had a substantial change to their income tax profile since the previous year.

That is just one of several broad-based policies Trudeau is expected to outline today.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is also talking about his party's policies today, as he delivers a speech to the Economic Club of Canada outlining his vision for building the economy and a strong middle class.

For their part, the governing Conservatives have introduced a raft of new legislation in recent weeks — including a new bill coming Tuesday to increase penalties for impaired driving — with little chance of passage before Parliament rises for the summer and the election. Government House Leader Peter Van Loan said Monday the bills will form the "framework" for the Conservatives' campaign.