The Brockville Recorder & Times reports that, “Ontario voters will be able to recall their MPPs and play a role in crafting legislation if democratic reforms suggested by Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark become reality. (These are) ideas for discussion to be presented by Clark eventually to Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak. …Some 20 people attended a public meeting on the subject held by Clark Wednesday night at the Qual ity Hotel Royal Brock.”
“Audience member Colin Williams, although he had questions about (a proposal for a) recall process, commended Clark for making the public meeting about ideas. ‘This is far better than the standard anti-McGuinty rant,’ said Williams.”
“Audience members also had a chance to suggest other ideas for democratic reform, even if they fall outside the boundaries set for Clark by his leader. …Local Council of Canadians chapter president Jim Riesberry suggested another look at proportional representation, as well as a ban on campaign donations from corporations and unions.”
In September 2007, a Council of Canadians action alert stated, “In addition to casting ballots in the Ontario provincial election on Wednesday October 10, voters in Ontario will be asked in a referendum whether they want to implement a new system of mixed member proportional (MMP) representation…The Council of Canadians believes that MMP is more democratic than our current electoral system. It ensures a fairer representation of votes cast, and prevents a governing party from holding total power after earning only a small percentage of the popular vote, which is the case now with the first-past-the-post system. MMP would also allow for a better representation of parties, of people and their issues.”
The next provincial election in Ontario will take place on October 6.
The Recorder & Times article is at http://recorder.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2948474. More on the Council of Canadians position on proportional representation at http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=1746.
