Yesterday afternoon, the Peterborough chapter joined Fair Vote Canada in a rally held outside the local office of Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, the federal minister of democratic institutions. The rally attracted close to 50 people advocating for proportional representation, a voting system that would see the House of Commons made up of MPs from parties accurately reflecting the popular vote.
This was in addition to the chapter holding the first of many weekly vigils last Friday on proportional representation at Monsef’s office. The events will also include an appearance and dialogue session at Peterborough Square, three and one half blocks away, in the heart of downtown.
The Council of Canadians stands up for democracy as a fundamental pillar of our society. After 10 years of our democracy being under siege because of legislative changes made by the former Harper government, the new federal government is considering options for meaningful electoral reform.
Proportional representation will ensure that future elections are more democratic than our outdated first-past-the-post voting system. It will provide a fairer representation of votes cast and prevent a governing party from holding total power after gaining only a small percentage of the popular vote.
The Council of Canadians supports proportional representation and calls on the federal government to begin immediate public consultations so a new voting system can be in place before the next federal election.
