CLC Joins Campaign for PR
June 17, 2002
FAIR VOTE CANADA
NEWS RELEASE
June 17, 2002
immediate release
Contact: Larry Gordon 416-410-4034
CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS JOINS GROWING CAMPAIGN FOR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Delegates at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) convention, which adjourned on Friday in Vancouver, overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution to actively campaign for a proportional representation voting system for Canada. The resolution also endorsed Fair Vote Canada (FVC), a multi- partisan citizens' campaign for voting reform, and encouraged union members across the country to join FVC.
"This is yet another sign of the broad and diverse range of organizations and people that are now calling for a new approach to electing governments in Canada," said Larry Gordon, executive director of FVC. "Fair Vote Canada is now endorsed by major national organizations as diverse as the Canadian Labour Congress and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, and by a growing list of prominent Canadians from a variety of backgrounds and political viewpoints."
Two months ago, FVC announced the formation of its National Advisory Board, which includes current and former MPs from the Alliance, Liberal, NDP and Progressive Conservative parties, as well as former party leaders such as Ed Broadbent and Claude Ryan. Other prominent supporters include author Pierre Berton, economist Sylvia Ostry and former Ontario Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander.
"Voting system reform has also risen on the political agendas of many provinces in recent months," said FVC president Doris Anderson. "In British Columbia, there is an active citizens' initiative underway to force a referendum on proportional representation. Last month, a report on proportional representation was tabled in the PEI legislature, and an MNAs' committee on voting system reform has just begun its work in Quebec."
Fair Vote Canada was formally launched in April 2001. It has active chapters in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa, plus Labour for Fair Voting and Women for Fair Voting caucuses.
- 30 -