London chapter calls on local Liberal MPs to make every vote

[Oscar]

London chapter calls on local Liberal MPs to make every vote count

[ http://canadians.org/blog/london-chapte ... vote-count ]

February 17, 2017 - 11:15 am

The Council of Canadians London chapter continues to tell two local Liberal MPs that every vote should count.

The chapter has been actively calling for electoral reform and held a protest for proportional representation earlier this week.

Chapter activist Robert Cory posted, "Wed. Feb. 15, 2017 at MP Kate Young's office at noon! Join us every week!"

On February 1, the Liberal government announced - through a mandate letter to the new minister of democratic institutions - that it would break its October 2015 election promise on electoral reform.

Between February 6 and February 10, the London chapter participated in rush-hour rallies (at 8 am and 4:30 pm) in front of the constituency offices of both Young and Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos.

Then on February 11, the Council of Canadians Nelson, Victoria, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Northumberland, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Quinte, Peterborough-Kawarthas, Ottawa, Montreal, Fredericton, Saint John and St. John's chapters took part in a cross-country day of action in support of electoral reform.

On February 14, the Trudeau government defeated a motion in the House of Commons that would have had them apologize for breaking their promise.

The motion stated that "in the opinion of the House, the government misled Canadians on its platform and Throne Speech commitment 'that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system,' and that the House call on the government to apologize to Canadians for breaking its promise." The Canadian Press reports, "The motion put forward in the House of Commons by the New Democrats was rejected 175 to 129. The Conservatives, the Bloc Quebecois and Green party leader Elizabeth May voted with the New Democrats on the opposition day motion."

After the vote, NDP critic for electoral reform Nathan Cullen stated, "Canadians expected more from this prime minister. They believed that he was going to be different, and this betrayal of such a black-and-white promise shows him to be, unfortunately, more of the cynical same. Believe me when I say this ain't over."

E-616, a House of Common e-petition that calls on the Government to "Immediately, declare its on-going commitment to ensuring the 2015 election be the last Federal Canadian election under the First Past The Post system" has now been signed by 119,269 people. To add your name to that petition, please click here: [ https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Sign/e-616 ]

The Council of Canadians continues to call on the prime minister to make good on his election campaign promise to introduce electoral reform legislation by this May, given Elections Canada would need time to put the new system in place.

The next federal election is scheduled to take place on October 21, 2019.

#ElectoralReform
#MakeEveryVoteCount


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