|
Fair Vote Canada
Takes Strides
October 3,
2002
Fair Vote Canada continues to make
strides. At its June convention, the Canadian Labour Congress (the
Candian version of the AFL-CIO) backed the following resolution: "Be
it resolved that the Canadian Labour Congress reaffirms its support
for proportional representation and actively campaigns for reform of
the Canada Elections Act and corresponding provincial acts on this
basis; and be it further resolved that the CLC endorses and supports
Fair Vote Canada and encourages members of affiliates to join Fair
Vote Canada and to campaign strongly for democratic voting reform."
In September, Fair Vote Canada issued the following
news release about progress in British Columbia:
September 23, 2002
Contact: Larry Gordon 416-410-4034 Doris Anderson
416-947-1380
British Columbia commended as first province
to move forward with voting reform program
Fair Vote Canada commends the Government of British
Columbia for becoming the first provincial government to announce a
specific process and timetable for voting system reform.
On September 20, attorney general Geoff Plant
announced the appointment of Gordon Gibson to develop
recommendations on how to establish a citizens� assembly on
electoral reform. The assembly will study and make recommendations
on alternative ways to elect British Columbia MLAs. Gibson must
table recommendations by December 15. The process he recommends must
ensure the citizens� assembly can report to the attorney general in
time to allow a referendum question to accompany the May 2005
general election.
�While the Government of Quebec is engaged in public
consultation on a variety of democratic reform issues and the
Government of Prince Edward Island is considering the issue, British
Columbia is the first to commit to a specific citizen-driven process
and completion date,� said Doris Anderson, president of Fair Vote
Canada.
�At this time, it appears that British Columbians may
be the first Canadians given an opportunity to adopt a more
proportional and fair voting system,� said Larry Gordon, executive
director of Fair Vote Canada. �But we may see similar announcements
in PEI or Quebec, or even Ontario, where the two opposition parties
support an electoral reform process. Interest in fair voting is
growing so quickly at both the federal and provincial levels, we are
expecting other related developments in the near future.�
Fair Vote Canada was launched in April 2000 to press
all levels of government to engage citizens in a process to consider
proportional voting systems. The campaign has members and chapters
across the country, and has attracted supporters from all points on
the political spectrum. The National Advisory Board of Fair Vote
Canada includes a diverse range of prominent Canadians, including
Pierre Berton, Hugh Segal, Ed Broadbent, Claude Ryan, Karen Kain,
Lincoln Alexander, Maude Barlow, Walter Robinson and David Suzuki,
as well as current and former MPs from the Liberals, PCs, Alliance
and NDP.
-- 30 -- |
