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The Munk Debates

Home Opinion Editorials

GLOBE EDITORIAL

You wanna be consulted on electoral

reform? Go consult yourself
The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Jul. 10, 2016 5:00PM EDT
Last updated Monday, Jul. 11, 2016 4:05PM EDT

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It is amazing the lengths that the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau

will go to avoid holding a referendum on its proposed reform of the
voting system. Stuck with a campaign promise to make the 2015 election
the last one ever held under the first-past-the-post system, but
inexplicably unwilling to hold a plebiscite on what to replace that system
with, the government has come up with a novel response to Canadians
understandable desire to be consulted on this fundamental issue.
Go consult yourselves, say the Liberals.

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Thats right. Canadians can go right ahead and consult themselves, as
far as their government is concerned. Ottawa is calling on Canadians to

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electoral reform. It could be a small gathering in your house or a

neighbours house, or a rejigged book club meeting, or a full-on town

But just so you know the government isnt behaving like a lazy farmer
that asks his cows to milk themselves, it has produced a booklet,
available online, that is filled with handy tips, informative charts and

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colourful illustrations related to self-consultation.

Your government will be right there beside you, advising on how best to
organize a successful dialogue on Canadian federal electoral reform.
Everything you need is in the booklet, from whether or not to provide
cups if you offer beverages (answer: yes) to whether you should hold
the event in a bar (probably not) or provide a sign-language interpreter
(will there be deaf people there?).
The results of Canadians kaffeeklatsches on the relative merits of the
FPTP system versus a closed-list proportional representation system, or

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whether you prefer mixed-member proportional to single transferable

vote, are to be written down and sent to the House of Commons Special
Committee on Electoral Reform.
And, voil, you have successfully consulted yourself! No whining if you
didnt get consulted about electoral reform, because its your fault. You
had the chance to air your opinion but didnt take it? Dont bitch to
Ottawa about it. Theyll just tell you to go consult yourself.
!

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