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Across Canada, citizens unhappy with lopsided legislatures and inadequate
representation are pushing politicians to explore changes to the electoral
process. In British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec, consultations
on electoral reform are already underway, while in other provinces, the issue
has reached the political agenda. Now, citizen groups and organizations such
as the Law Commission of Canada are examining the route to reform at the
federal level, where the problems of the current "first past the post"
system are perhaps most acute. Everywhere, it seems, Canadians are realizing
that the process of democratic participation and representation is
the key to a host of other political goals, from unity to equity to
accountability.
National Campaigns and Projects
The Make Every Vote Count Campaign. This campaign will use
the period leading up to 2004/2005 federal election to build strong
public support for voting system reform and to make voting system reform
an election issue. The multi-year campaign will follow the general course of
(1) FVC organization and campaign development, (2) membership expansion,
public education, and network development, (3) intensified contact with party
members and supporters, and more endorsements from organizations, opinion
leaders, and media, and (4) establishing issues during the pre-election period
requiring a response and position from all parties and politicians.
The Make Every Vote Count Petition for a Fair Voting System.
The present voting system wastes millions of votes, distorts election
results and denies fair representation to many Canadians. This petition
calls 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. The petition can be view and printed at
http://www.fairvotecanada.org/eng/petition/Petition.pdf
Local Campaigns and Projects
Local members are making presentations and submissions to the
Electoral Boundaries Commission. The Commission will propose new federal
electoral boundaries for British Columbia based on the 2001 census, and will
be convening public meetings in the Fall of 2002.
British Columbia Attorney General Geoff Plant has reaffirmed the BC
government's commitment to a Citizen's Assembly. The Greater Vancouver
Chapter of Fair Vote Canada supports the efforts of
Fair Voting BC in its efforts
to ensure that this will be an open and fair process.
Past Campaigns and Archives
November, 2002.
The Greater Vancouver Chapter completed a project to determine where the
various municipal parties and candidates stand on Vancouver municipal
electoral reform. Results of that survey may be found
here.
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