Please Read this Before You Take the Government’s Survey
From Anita Nickerson Fair Vote Canada
Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef has launched a national survey on democratic reform. It will close on December 30. A postcard with the URL for the survey has been sent to 13 million homes now!
On Thursday December 1, the all-party committee on electoral reform (ERRE) released its recommendation.
The good news: The committee heard you loud and clear. They recognized that an overwhelming majority of the public and the experts – 88% – who participated in the cross-country consultation said Canada needs proportional representation. 71% of the expert witnesses to ERRE opposed a referendum.
The bad news: The report recommends a referendum – with first-past-the-post on the ballot. Just as bad, the Liberals on the committee issued a surprise “supplementary report” recommending the government break its election promise and deliver no change for 2019! Apparently they think making your vote count is “too radical” and not enough people have jumped through enough hoops of “engagement” for them to keep their promise.
Here’s the bottom line.
10,997,262 of us voted for parties that made a clear promise to Canadians to ensure that 2015 was the last-first-past-the-post election, and to Make Every Vote Count in 2019.
The government can show leadership, and keep their promise to Canadians.
You Can Help Now – Share our Guide to the Government’s Electoral Refom Survey!
Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef has launched a national survey on democratic reform. It will close on December 30. A postcard with the URL for the survey has been sent to 13 million homes now!
On November 29, after sending her a letter that went unanswered, Fair Vote Canada ran this ad in the Toronto Star, calling on the government to include a clear question:
Should 30% of the vote equal 30% of the seats?
The all-party Electoral Reform Committee also passed a unanimous resolution last week asking the Minister to include the questions they used in their online survey on specific voting systems in her questionnaire (results came back strongly in favour of PR).
BOTH REQUESTS TO THE MINISTER FELL ON DEAF EARS.
There is no straightforward question about proportional representation, voter equality or electoral systems on the government survey. There are a lot of misleading questions and questions that play to fear-mongering about PR. We do not support the contents of this survey. It does not move the conversation forward.
The survey questions have been roundly mocked on social media. Check out #rejectedERQs!
ereowever, the survey is out there and the government will be considering the level of engagement they receive and answers they get.
There are questions on the survey where you can support the values of proportional representation – such as cross-party cooperation and political diversity.
A strong showing for these values on the survey will send another message to the government that despite their bungled attempt to confuse and mislead people, Canadians support PR.
Our guide is here – please read and share:
The government’s survey is here:
Let’s keep driving this conversation forward to the fulfilment of the campaign promise to Make Every Vote Count.
It’s very important for everyone to follow the suggestions recommended by Fair Vote Canada!