If Waterloo Region had a GPC Member of Parliament, we could look forward to having our own Green Electoral Reform Town Hall. Instead, Waterloo Region has 4 Liberal MPs and 1 Conservative MP. All 5 Waterloo Region MPs managed to attend the Climate Change Town Hall. Unfortunately we won’t see the same for Electoral Reform.
Although the ERRE Special Committee on Electoral Reform is conducting a Canada wide tour, apparently it will only effect a single stop in the most populous province in the land. And that won’t be in Northern Ontario, but rather in the most populous city, Toronto, leaving the rest of the province out of the loop. The Minister of Democratic Institutions is trying to augment the Committee’s limited itinerary with a complimentary tour of her own, which will visit many more spots.
Every MP in Parliament has been is tasked with hosting a Town Hall to consult with their constituents about electoral reform. Unfortunately, Kitchener-Conestoga MP has chosen to mail out a form letter questionaire (read: advertisement) encouraging citizens who have no idea of the alternatives to rally around a referendum (the CPC strategy intended to derail our long overdue electoral reform).
As I understand it, instead of 4 Liberal Town Hall consultations in Waterloo Region, the 4 LPC MPs will join the Honourable Maryam Monsef in one big Town Hall event on Wednesday Night.
This will be our only official ERRE Event, so though the event is being put on by Liberal MPs for a Liberal Government, everyone who can attend should attend to support Proportional Representation in the only opportunity we’ll have for face to face Government engagement on this most important reform.
Federal Electoral Reform Community Dialogue Tour
Wednesday, 14 September 14th, 2016
7:00pm — 9:00pm
at the Stanley Park Community Centre
505 Franklin Street North, Kitchener (~ MAP~)
Please RSVP online or call +1-519-741-2001
This is a must attend event for electoral reform supporters.
There are plenty of reasons for the Green Party to support Proportional Representation, the chief being that the disproportional power the winner-take-all party gets comes at the expense of smaller parties like the GPC. There are things we can do to help Canada along the path to truly representative government:
- WRGreens blog: GPC Proportional Representation Toolbox
- WRGreens blog: What WE Can Do for ERRE
You might find the electoral reform series I’m writing to help demystify Proportional Representation useful. If you don’t have time for the whole thing, probably the most useful articles are:
- #ERRE #Q Meetings & Transcripts: links to all the video & transcripts from the ERRE Committee’s meetings with experts
- Electoral System Roundup (a quick look at the different potential electoral systems for Canada)
Share the graphics to help spread the word!
Do you know anyone who needs their own poster in other parts of Canada?
Share the DIY posters below: all they have to do is fill in the event details!
Print & Share our WRGreens
Canada’s Voting System Is Changing
Community Dialogue Poster too!
Can you imagine a better way to celebrate Democracy Week?