Trudeau breaks his promise to implement electoral reform

[Oscar]

Trudeau breaks his promise to implement electoral reform

[ http://canadians.org/blog/trudeau-break ... ral-reform ]

February 1, 2017 - 2:38 pm

Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow has tweeted: "Trudeau government abandons promise on electoral reform. Cynicism among the young over politics already so deep. We didn't need this."

During the last federal election, the Liberals promised that the 2015 election would be the last held until the first-past-the-post voting system and set a deadline of May 2017 to introduce legislation on electoral reform. Undoubtedly many people voted for Trudeau because of this pledge to make our voting system more democratic.

Now, just 15 months after the election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has abandoned that promise.

In his mandate letter to the new Minister of Democratic Institutions, which was released today, Trudeau now says, "There has been tremendous work by the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform, outreach by Members of Parliament by all parties, and engagement of 360,000 individuals in Canada through mydemocracy.ca. A clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged. Furthermore, without a clear preference or a clear question, a referendum would not be in Canada’s interest. Changing the electoral system will not be in your mandate."

Trudeau's reasoning appears self-serving.

Polls have consistently shown strong support for proportional representation, the Special Committee on Electoral Reform recommended "the government should, as it develops a new electoral system … minimize the level of distortion between the popular will of the electorate and the resultant seat allocations in Parliament", and the mydemocracy.ca survey was widely criticized for not asking people to respond to specific electoral systems or descriptions of those systems.

If proportional representation had been in place for the October 2015 federal election, the Liberals would not have won a majority government (but rather 134 seats), the Conservatives 109 seats (rather than 99), the NDP 67 seats (rather than 44), the Green Party 12 seats (rather than 1), and the Bloc Quebecois 16 seats (rather than 10).

In other words, there is an unacceptable "level of distortion" for the Liberals to have won only 39.47 per cent of the popular vote in the last election but to get 54.48 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons.

The Canadian Press now highlights, "Trudeau repeatedly promised — both as a campaigning Liberal leader and as prime minister in a speech from the throne — to get rid of the current first-past-the-post voting system in time for the 2019 federal election. New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen, the party's democratic reform critic, savaged Trudeau as a 'liar' during a news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons." Green Party leader Elizabeth May has just tweeted, "I am so shocked."

Our ally Fair Vote Canada has tweeted, "He wanted your votes and never intended to make your votes count."

The next federal election will take place on October 21, 2019.

Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]

[Oscar]

Statement by Ed Broadbent on Liberals' Abandonment of Electoral Reform Commitment

[ http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/ed_err ... =broadbent ]

February 01, 2017 Posted by Broadbent Institute . . .

Justin Trudeau’s promise that the 2015 election would be the last conducted under first-past-the-post could not have been clearer. He and his government repeated it numerous times, including in the Speech from the Throne.

The work of the Electoral Reform Committee was thorough and the Committee heard loud and clear from Canadians, and the vast majority of experts, that Canada should move to a proportional representation system. Today’s announcement that Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are abandoning their clear promise, for no good reason, is the height of cynicism. It is manifestly not in the best interest of the country and is the result of precisely the sort of backroom calculations that turn Canadians off of politics. Mr. Trudeau pledged to do politics differently. Today he has failed utterly to live up to that commitment.

[Oscar]

Prime Minister betrays Canadians by abandoning electoral reform promise

[ https://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-rele ... rm-promise ]

February 01, 2017

(OTTAWA) – Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), released the following statement following a decision by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to abandon the Liberals' promise on electoral reform:

"I feel more deeply shocked today by this government's actions than any other in my adult life. Thousands upon thousands of Canadians put faith in this government's – and in this prime minister's – direct promise that 2015 would be the last election under First Past the Post. This betrayal is one felt by all voters, volunteers and activists who worked diligently to make this country's democracy fairer and stronger through meaningful electoral reform.

"The Liberal platform, the Speech from the Throne, and the Special Committee on Electoral Reform's mandate made no mention of a precondition that a majority supporting reform must be found. Despite spending millions of dollars on the issue, the government never actually asked Canadians the direct question. Clearly, the answer from the ERRE committee was not the one the Prime Minister wanted to hear," Ms. May said.

"In our current global context, it is now deeply dangerous to play cynical politics. Cynicism does not need more cynicism. Cynicism feeds itself. It is work to feed hope. It is work to feed faith. The Prime Minister today not only declined to improve our electoral system, he has fuelled cynicism.

"We call on the Prime minister to reverse this terrible decision, and live up to his promise to Canadians," Ms. May concluded. - 30 -

For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
m: (613) 614-4916

[Oscar]

Regina residents hopeful for electoral reform disappointed in Trudeau government

[ http://globalnews.ca/news/3223950/regin ... overnment/ ]

February 2, 2017 By David Baxter Reporter Global News

The federal Liberals’ announcement that they are pulling back their promise of electoral reform is not sitting well with some Reginans.

“For the government to just simply dismiss all that work and all that effort, and all the points of view expressed by so many Canadians it’s really disappointing,” Lee Ward said.

Ward is an associate professor of political science at Campion College.

He took part in a series of cross-country discussions hosted by the electoral reform committee, which complied a 300-plus page report on the topic.

Many people who were talked to have a similar view to Ward; Canada should adopt a form of proportional representation and a referendum should be held.

In a proportional representation system, the base meaning is if you get 30 per cent of the vote, you get 30 per cent of the seats.

Ward says the government should be proud of the initial report, but has issues with how questions were asked in the online My Democracy survey.

“Specific reform proposals were neglected, but rather these very vague generalities about what kind of system would you like. Would you like where people work together? Would you like one where the government has less power or more power?” Ward said.

“When Canadians are presented with specific proposals then you can focus your mind and make an intelligent choice.”

On Wednesday, new Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould said that the broad support needed for a change of this magnitude doesn’t exist.

MORE:

[ http://globalnews.ca/news/3223950/regin ... overnment/ ]