Gov't response on electoral reform is "delay, distract, deny" strategy (Oct. 13, 2005)
October 13, 2005
NEWS - October 13, 2005
FAIR VOTE CANADA SAYS GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
ON ELECTORAL REFORM IS A
"DELAY, DISTRACT AND DENY" STRATEGY
The Government's formal response to the electoral reform proposals in the 43rd Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is a clear attempt to delay electoral reform, distract attention from the core issue, and deny an obvious conflict of interest.
The Martin government says it will proceed with a tendering process to support a citizen consultation process and establish a special parliamentary committee to make recommendations to the Government on democratic renewal. Diverging from the Standing Committee's recommendation, which was supported by Liberal members, the government says it will extend the process far beyond the timeframe to which all parties agreed in committee.
"What we see is a delay, distract and deny strategy by the government," said Fair Vote Canada Executive Director Larry Gordon. "MPs from the governing party agreed that a process could be completed by February 28, prior to the upcoming election. By taking an inexcusable three months to formally respond, the government subverted the timetable."
Gordon said the Government is trying to bury electoral reform in a long list of other issues.
"The Government wants to launch a citizen consultation on a long list of democratic renewal issues in the hope that voting reform will be lost in the shuffle," said Gordon. "That contrasts poorly with the Ontario Liberal government, which committed to a clear process for electoral reform while also pursuing other democratic reforms. It ensured that the main question, voting reform and proportional representation, would be addressed rather than buried."
Gordon also emphasized that the government continues to deny an obvious conflict of interest.
"The Martin government has adopted a process where it continues to retain the power to tell citizens how they will be allowed to elect their government," Gordon said. "The voting system belongs to the voters, not the governments and Parliaments that are created and empowered by the voting system. The MPs elected by the current unfair voting system are in an obvious conflict of interest on this question. The Liberal federal government should follow the lead of the Ontario Liberal government and BC Liberal government . It should establish an independent citizen-driven process for voting reform."