The Council of Canadians Terrace chapter has had their open letter on electoral reform to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published in the Terrace Standard.
Chapter activist Barry English writes, “The Council of Canadians, Terrace Chapter, is writing to voice our extreme disappointment with your rejection of electoral reform. As your support of electoral reform was very strong throughout your election campaign, with a pledge to ensure ‘that the 2015 election will be the last federal election using first past the post’, the change in your commitment to proportional representation is very inappropriate.”
He adds, “This is a total betrayal of those who voted for your party and those who worked very hard on the electoral reform committee to fulfil Canadian citizens’ wishes for a more democratic voting system. Yet another axed election promise just produces more cynicism, especially from our youth. Certainly electoral reform would have made them feel more positive about their future.”
English concludes, “We believe every vote should count equally and every voice should be heard in Parliament. Why should a party receiving 39 per cent of the votes get 100 per cent of the power? We call upon the federal government to take action on electoral reform in time for the next federal election.”
His full letter can be read here.
Numerous Council of Canadians chapters took action in the weeks leading up to the May 31 vote in the House of Commons on a motion of concurrence with the recommendations made by the Special Committee on Electoral Reform.
159 Liberals voted against electoral reform, while 146 opposition party members – Conservative, NDP, Bloc and Green MPs – voted in favour. There were only two Liberal Members of Parliament – Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Beaches-East York) and Sean Casey (Charlottetown) – who voted in favour of electoral reform.
The next federal election will take place on October 21, 2019.