Fair Vote Canada
NEWSLETTER
Jan. 23, 2003
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS FROM 34 CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES CALL FOR NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON ELECTORAL REFORM
Also in this issue:
-- FVC's Third Annual Conference Announced
-- CLC Leader Joins Advisory Board
-- Law Commission Hearings Continue
-- Quebec Estates General Set for February
-- PEI Commissioner on Voting Reform Appointed
------------------------------------------------------------
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS FROM 34 CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES CALL FOR NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON ELECTORAL REFORM
One-hundred and three political scientists from 34 Canadian universities have joined the call for voting system reform in Canada. The list of electoral reform supporters includes four former presidents of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA), the current secretary general of the International Political Science Association
(IPSA) and a former IPSA secretary general. The political scientists have endorsed a petition organized by Fair Vote Canada, which
states:
"The present voting system wastes millions of votes, distorts election results and denies fair representation to many Canadians. We call on the Government of Canada and all other Parliamentary parties to: 1) initiate a public consultation on instituting a more
proportional voting system; and 2) provide Canadians with a referendum process to choose the best voting system."
"As citizens and experts who worry about the quality of Canadian democracy, political scientists are now raising their voices together," said University of Toronto's Dr. Sylvia Bashevkin, a former president
of CPSA. "The re-evaluation of our voting system must become an urgent priority for Canada."
FVC'S THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED
Mark April 25-26 on your calendars for Fair Vote Canada's third annual conference and AGM on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Further information and registration materials will be availible shortly.
CLC LEADER JOINS ADVISORY BOARD
Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, has joined Fair Vote Canada's Advisory Board.
Georgetti's 25 years of union activism in British Columbia included being elected Vice President and then President of the B.C.
Federation of Labour.
He joins the 30 other board members including current and former MPs of all major parties and representatives from cultural, academic
and social spheres. To read about the Advisory Board members, follow the link on the About Us page of the website www.fairvotecanada.org.
The FVC Advisory Board is comprised of high profile Canadians supporting FVC's mandate who can be called upon for public support,
and strategic and expert opinion.
LAW COMMISSION HEARINGS CONTINUE
The Law Commission of Canada is continuing its series of public hearings on voting reform.
The next meeting will be in London, February 4, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Stevenson-Hunt Room, London Public Library (Central Branch), 251 Dundas Street.
Meetings in other cities will be announced soon.
For more information, visit the commission's website,
http://www.lcc.gc.ca/en/themes/gr/er/er_main.asp, or contact electoral-reform@lcc.gc.ca.
QUEBEC ESTATES GENERAL SET FOR FEBRUARY
A thousand Quebecers will met at the end of February to hammer out proposals for democratic reform in the province. The Estates General will take place February 21 to 23 in Quebec City.
The deliberations will reflect on the views expressed by members of the public in last fall's series of consultations, which were held in 20 cities. A report will then be presented to the government in March.
Significant interest in proportional representation was shown in the public consultations.
PEI COMMISSIONER ON VOTING REFORM APPOINTED
Premier Pat Binns announced on Tuesday that retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, Honourable Norman H.
Carruthers, has accepted an appointment to head the Prince Edward Island Commission on Electoral Reform.
Binns advised that the work of the Commission would begin immediately and its focus would be on consulting with Islanders. He expects an interim report to be submitted in the fall and the Commission's final report completed in 2004.
Jeanie Lee, head of Every Vote Counts, an organization pushing for proportional representation, applauds the initiative and supports the appointment as "independent and creditable."
McGUNITY AND HAMPTON SPEAK ON VOTING REFORM
Fair Vote Ontario is holding a series of forums on voting reform with provincial party leaders. Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton will speak on Monday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the Lash Miller Building, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Room 162. Dalton McGunity, Ontario Liberal leader, will speak on March 19, location TBA.
CHAPTER AND CAUCUS NEWS
For information about activities of the Fair Vote Canada chapter in your area check the Chapters and Caucus page of the website
www.fairvotecanada.org.
If you are interested in helping start a local chapter in your area, please contact info@fairvotecanada.org or phone 416-410-4034.