Fair Vote Canada
NEWSLETTER -- Conference Report
April 5, 2001
CONTENTS:
1) FVC on CPAC
2) National Launch Sets Positive Tone
3) Executive Committee Named
4) Our Purpose
5) Relationships with Other Organizations
6) Guidelines for Local Chapters
7) National Council Elections
8) Membership Development
9) NDP Bill on Proportional Representation
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1) FVC on CPAC
On Friday, April 6, CPAC (Canadian Parliamentary Affairs Channel) will air portions of FVC's "Make Votes Count" conference, which was held in Ottawa last weekend.
Five hours of the speeches and discussions from the conference will be shown on a program called The Public Record beginning at 2 pm Eastern, 11 am Pacific.
CPAC's schedule is available at .
2) National Launch Sets Positive Tone
"Making Votes Count", the March 30-31 national launch of Fair Vote Canada, was declared a major success by conference organizers after participants completed two days of informative and engaging sessions.
Based on the constructive discussions and lively exchange of ideas on campaign strategies, the National Council of Fair Vote Canada followed up with a number of key decisions that will lay the groundwork for organizational development and the launch of the national campaign.
Featured speakers at the conference included Judy Rebick, author of Imagine Democracy; Jean-Pierre Kingsley, directory general of Elections Canada; Paul Howe, research director, Institute for Research on Public Policy; Henry Milner, political scientist and editor of Making Every Vote Count; and Lorne Nystrom, NDP MP.
The event was attended by 75 participants, many of whom have extensive experience, related expertise and personal contact networks that will help build the Fair Vote Canada campaign.
The conference received media coverage from CPAC, the Sun newspapers, Ottawa X Press, CFRA Radio, CHED Radio, Saturday Night, the Calgary Herald and others.
3) Executive Committee Named
At a meeting in Ottawa on April 1, the National Council nominated and approved by consensus the formation of an executive committee, as follows:
-- Larry Gordon, president
-- Doris Anderson, vice president
-- Troy Lanigan, executive committee member
-- Gail Turner, executive committee member
-- Julian West, executive committee member
4) Our Purpose
The National Council approved the following as Fair Vote Canada's statement of purpose:
The primary purpose of FVC is to gain broad support for a national process to enable Canadian voters to choose which voting system shall be used to elect their representatives.
FVC believes that Canadians must have an opportunity to learn about and compare today's voting systems with those which would better meet such objectives as: 1) broad proportionality, 2) extended voter choice, 3) stable and responsive government, and 4) maintaining a link between representatives and geographic constituencies.
FVC will raise funds, develop a national membership base and institute a series of education and action programs to meet these goals.
5) Relationships with Other Organizations
The National Council discussed the issue of relationship with other organizations and businesses. Should they endorse us, or become associate members, or become full members? What privileges (if any) should they be entitled to?
Council members Julian West, Richard Swift and Matt Gloyd will review the issue, survey potential group supporters as to what they would expect from us, and make a recommendation regarding relations with other groups.
6) Guidelines for Local Chapters
The issue of local chapters was also discussed at the National Council meeting.
-- FVC and the National Council will develop guidelines for the chapters. Chapters must apply to the National Council for recognition.
-- Guidelines are of paramount importance as they will be aimed at keeping the chapter focused on our agenda.
-- The membership fees will go to the national budget. Local chapters will be able to keep all funds from local fundraising.
Council members Brian Gibb, Dan Biocchi and Gail Turner will develop guidelines addressing the above concerns to be tabled by mid-May.
7) National Council Elections
The National Council agreed that the first election for the council would be held once FVC has 1000 dues-paying members -- an increase form the original proposal for a threshold of 250 members. The threshold was increased to ensure that the elections would involve a wider-range of supporters across the country.
The election will be for all 15 positions on the Council, with 5 people elected to 3-year terms; 5 elected to 2-year terms and 5 elected to 1-year terms. All subsequent annual elections will be for 5 positions for 3-year terms.
The Elections Committee tabled its proposal for how nominations, campaigns and balloting would be conducted. It recommends that the vote be cast using a Single Transferable Vote.
8) Membership Development
FVC is developing a brochure to promote memberships and donations. The cost of membership will be an annual fee of $25, or $10 for those of limited means.
9) NDP Bill on Proportional Representation
NDP electoral reform critic Lorne Nystrom took another step in his ongoing campaign to modernize Canada's electoral system by introducing in the House of Commons a private member's bill calling for proportional representation.
The introduction of the bill on March 29 coincided with FVC's "Making Votes Count" conference which was held on Parliament Hill under Mr. Nystrom's sponsorship.
Mr. Nystrom's bill would initiate a process of public consultation that might lead to a national referendum on proportional representation.
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