Feds Shying Away from Electoral Reform?
Prince George, B.C. – Nathan Cullen hasn’t given up on electoral reform.
This despite the fact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested to Quebec newspaper Le Devoir last week that Canadians are no longer interested in change with the demise of the Stephen Harper government.
“The timing was brutal because we’ve just spent half a million dollars going around the country, consulting with Canadians,” says the Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP. “We’re just about to start getting into the short strokes and trying to find consensus between all parties.”
Trudeau had promised that last year’s election campaign would be the final one using the first-past-the-post electoral system.
“I think we’ve since recovered from it (Trudeau’s comments) to be honest,” says Cullen. “I’ve been speaking with Liberals and Conservatives and others and there is still a lot of energy and a real feeling of responsibility – not just having spent so much time consulting with Canadians, but also because this is such an historic opportunity to bring Canada into the 21st century.”
Cullen is vice-chair of a 12-member special House of Commons committee on electoral reform. The committee has spent the past four months touring the country asking the public for feedback on the kind of electoral system they’d like to see in future elections.
“So yeah it was inarticulate, it was awkward, but perhaps in the end it was somewhat helpful in focusing the mind and maybe even a reminder for Mr. Trudeau that having a lot of likes on Facebook doesn’t mean you get to break your promises.”
The committee is scheduled to present its final report to the government on December 1st.
Earlier this month Cullen told 250News consultations his party held over the summer revealed 84% of those surveyed want an electoral system where a party’s seats in the House of Commons is a fair reflection of the shares of votes they receive.
Comments
Tredeau is smart enough to know that proportional representation is divisive and fractures the unity of the countries that use it. It would be poisonous to a country the size of Canada where local representation is so important. Every social issue with five percent of the vote would get to point MP’s from a list that are not directly accountable to the voter and that would just empower the back room dealings of the political party elites.
Trudeau set out to change the way we elect MP’s, as in the transferable ballot to ensure only MP’s with a majority vote get elected. The opposition high jacked the process and insisted on proportional representation and as such Trudeau would rather walk away from the proces than see Canada become an Israel or Italy example.
It’s to bad because it represents a lost opportunity for this generation to finally see Canada become a more true democracy of the people rather than of the parties.
I use to have a lot of respect for Cullen but in this case I think his one sided rhetoric killed the process.
Leave the electoral system alone. There is absolutely no need to change it. None of the changes proposed will make government any more responsive to the results desired by the electorate, since ALL the Parties are still ultimately subservient to the dictates of ‘finance’. Which is NOT something that “we, the people” control. Nor will we ever, so long as we are continually unable to fully liquidate our debts in their totality. This cannot help but put control over the government, and over all of us, in the hands of those who literally ‘make’ our money.
Trudeau now sees the possibility of having a majority Government for the next eight years, with unfettered power, so of course he will break his promise. He also broke the promise of transferring more money to the Provinces for health care. He continues to support the use of Bill C-51. He continues to deport people who have not filled out their immigration papers properly. He promised a deficit of some $10 billion a year and in the first year he already has a deficit of some 28 Billion.
The Liberals if they have any credibility on any issue whatsoever, it is on their ability to break most if not all of their election promises. See their famous *Red Book* for a prime example.
Cullen and those who support them are whining because they see the opportunity for them to get into Government slipping away. They have been conned by the Liberals. (Whats new).
There is nothing wrong with our present system of Government (Westminster model) the only reason it is not working well is because the elected MP’s have been stripped of their power, and it now lies in the hands of the Prime Minister, and the political parties. This can be changed if we wanted to get of our asses and change it, and these changes would be more effective than bringing in a whole new (corrupt) system.
Have a nice day.
Conned by the Liberals and conned by the Cons, so what is a country to do? Might want to bring in a third party option where a minority government is most likely to happen under proportional representation. That would certainly make a government “more accountable”. So bring on electoral reform!
Trudeau is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He has to introduce a new voting system but he also has to make sure he doesn’t pee people off and introduce a can of worms or something people do not understand. Doing nothing will confirm what people are already saying, a soft touch and maybe transferable ballot – but if a candidate loses on a transfer ballot there will be court cases up the wazoo.
He has the majority in the electoral reform committee so whatever they decide in caucus is how it will be no matter what charts and letters Cullen has in his back pocket
Funny how the tune changes once they are in power. Now it isn’t so much about what the people want but what they think will get them reelected in the future
A politician lied? And Cullen is surprised? Does he really think we’re all stupid?
why would they want to change something that is to their benefit the way it stands?
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