Kathie Clark (in yellow Council of Canadians t-shirt) and other chapter activists were at the the ‘Keep Your Promise’ public forum.
The Council of Canadians Hamilton chapter was at MP Nathan Cullen’s ‘Keep Your Promise’ tour stop in the federal riding of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek on April 23.
That riding is currently held by Liberal MP Bob Bratina.
The Canadian Press has reported, “Cullen says he will challenge 20 Liberal MPs to show up at meetings in their ridings to debate [electoral reform]. He also says those 20 votes would make all the difference if those MPs were to break with the prime minister.”
Bratina didn’t show for last night’s gathering.
Upcoming public forums will also be held in:
Winnipeg – April 25
Saskatoon – April 26
Edmonton – April 27
All of this comes in the critical weeks before a vote this spring in the House of Commons on the recommendations made by the Special Committee on Electoral Reform.
On December 1, 2016, the committee presented its report to the House. It recommended, “that the government should, as it develops a new electoral system … minimize the level of distortion between the popular will of the electorate and the resultant seat allocations in Parliament.”
But on February 1, despite his October 2015 election promise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ruled out electoral reform.
Next month is the deadline for the federal government to introduce legislation to implement electoral reform in time for the October 2019 federal election.
Be sure to contact your Member of Parliament to tell them you support electoral reform and want to see legislation on it moving forward.
#KeepYourPromise