Keep an open mind, cabinet deputy tells democratic reform co
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:55 amKeep an open mind, cabinet deputy tells democratic reform committee
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'We don’t have much time,' Green Leader Elizabeth May says of electoral reform.
By SELINA CHIGNALL PUBLISHED : Wednesday, July 6, 2016 12:00 AM
Members of the House Special Committee on Electoral Reform should remain open minded as they hunker down to hear hours of witness testimony on potential changes to the way Canadians choose their government, says the Liberal government’s deputy on the democratic reform file.
Mark Holland (Ajax, Ont.), the parliamentary secretary to Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef, told The Hill Times that members of the committee should not come to the table with preconceived notions about electoral reform, which could lead to “jumping to conclusions.”
The Electoral Reform Committee is comprised of five Liberal MPs, three Conservatives, two members of the NDP, one from the Bloc Québécois, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, B.C.).
The Trudeau government ceded the Liberal majority on the committee last month after the Conservatives and NDP accused it of stacking the deck in the government’s favour. The government ultimately agreed to give the opposition a majority, in part by including Ms. May and Bloc MP Luc Thériault (Montcalm, Que.) as full members.
The committee is planning a busy summer, hearing from witnesses in Ottawa before hitting the road to hear what Canadians believe a new electoral system should encompass.
“You can expect the committee over the summer time to lay the foundation for what the questions [are] we will be asking, what problem we are trying to solve—before we head out on the road,” said NDP democratic reform critic Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C.), one of the committee vice-chairs.
The committee has to submit its final report with recommendations by Dec. 1, 2016.
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'We don’t have much time,' Green Leader Elizabeth May says of electoral reform.
By SELINA CHIGNALL PUBLISHED : Wednesday, July 6, 2016 12:00 AM
Members of the House Special Committee on Electoral Reform should remain open minded as they hunker down to hear hours of witness testimony on potential changes to the way Canadians choose their government, says the Liberal government’s deputy on the democratic reform file.
Mark Holland (Ajax, Ont.), the parliamentary secretary to Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef, told The Hill Times that members of the committee should not come to the table with preconceived notions about electoral reform, which could lead to “jumping to conclusions.”
The Electoral Reform Committee is comprised of five Liberal MPs, three Conservatives, two members of the NDP, one from the Bloc Québécois, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, B.C.).
The Trudeau government ceded the Liberal majority on the committee last month after the Conservatives and NDP accused it of stacking the deck in the government’s favour. The government ultimately agreed to give the opposition a majority, in part by including Ms. May and Bloc MP Luc Thériault (Montcalm, Que.) as full members.
The committee is planning a busy summer, hearing from witnesses in Ottawa before hitting the road to hear what Canadians believe a new electoral system should encompass.
“You can expect the committee over the summer time to lay the foundation for what the questions [are] we will be asking, what problem we are trying to solve—before we head out on the road,” said NDP democratic reform critic Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley, B.C.), one of the committee vice-chairs.
The committee has to submit its final report with recommendations by Dec. 1, 2016.
MORE:
[ http://www.hilltimes.com/2016/07/06/kee ... L_CAMPAIGN)&goal=0_207adb2c89-782555ead9-90669285&mc_cid=782555ead9&mc_eid=37c29b0f13 ]