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Fair Vote Canada
January 22,
2003
Summary: 103 political
scientists from 34 universities have endorsed a call for a public
consultation and public referendum process that would enable Canada
to switch to full representation (proportional representaion).
News Release: Fair Vote Canada
Political Scientists from 34 Canadian universities call for
national referendum on electoral reform.
January 22, 2003
One-hundred and three political scientists from 34 Canadian
universities have joined the call for voting system reform in
Canada. The list of electoral reform supporters includes four former
presidents of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA), the
current secretary general of the International Political Science
Association (IPSA) and a former IPSA secretary general. The
political scientists have endorsed a petition organized by Fair Vote
Canada, which states: "The present voting system wastes millions of
votes, distorts election results and denies fair representation to
many Canadians. We call on the Government of Canada and all other
Parliamentary parties to: 1) initiate a public consultation on
instituting a more proportional voting system; and 2) provide
Canadians with a referendum process to choose the best voting
system." "As citizens and experts who worry about the quality of
Canadian democracy, political scientists are now raising their
voices together,���Ǩ�� said University of Toronto���Ǩ�Ѣs Dr. Sylvia
Bashevkin, a former president of CPSA. ���Ǩ��The re-evaluation of our
voting system must become an urgent priority for Canada." The call
by Canadian political scientists comes upon the heels of other
recent developments. The Law Commission of Canada is conducting a
public consultation on federal voting system reform that will
culminate with a recommendation to Parliament later this year. In
the coming days, the BC government is expected to release
recommendations from Gordon Gibson on the structure and appointment
process for the BC citizens assembly on electoral reform. A citizens
assembly on democratic reform will be convened in Quebec in late
February to consider proportional representation and other reforms.
The premiers of PEI and the Yukon have also recently announced plans
to appoint electoral reform commissions. Fair Vote Canada is a
multi-partisan citizens���Ǩ�Ѣ campaign for voting system reform. The
campaign has been endorsed by groups as diverse as the Canadian
Taxpayers Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress. The FVC
National Advisory Board includes 30 prominent Canadians from various
backgrounds and political perspectives, including notables such as
Pierre Berton, Ed Broadbent, Hugh Segal, Claude Ryan, David Suzuki,
Karen Kain, Maude Barlow, Walter Robinson, Judy Rebick, Lincoln
Alexander and current and former MPs from the Liberals, Progressive
Conservatives, Alliance and NDP. [note: the list of political
scientists endorsing the petition is available on request] |
