Action you can take before 6:00 PM Sept 7 to fix our voting system in Ontario
Dear Ontario Cooperate for Canada supporter,
Ontario needs proportional representation (PR). It would mean the end of 40% “majorities” – like the one that we have right now. The end of wasted votes. The end of one-man rule. A chance to take action on health care, climate change, housing etc.
Right now, the prospects for getting PR are good. We’just’ need to get the NDP, Liberal, and Green parties to work together now on a common PR platform for the next election. The latest poll about PR in Ontario shows that this is what the people of Ontario want.
In Ontario, the NDP and the Greens have supported PR for a long time, but the Ontario Liberal Party (OLP) has lagged behind. However, right now, they are in the middle of a leadership race where three of the five current leadership candidates support PR to varying degrees.
So, what can you do as a PR supporter?
We need to show the Ontario Liberal leadership candidates that there is strong support for PR. If you want to be part of this very effective action, you need to take four steps.
- If you think you are already an OLP member, make sure and join again. This will update your membership. If you are not already an OLP member and would like to make a difference, you can join online here at any time from now until 6 pm on Sept. 7. There is no cost to join and you can cancel your membership at any time.
- Email the 5 Candidates. This second step is the most powerful. Don’t skip it! Email each of the five leadership candidates. Tell them that you just joined and that you are looking for a leader who will promote PR. Their names and contact links are provided below.
Eric Lombardi
Dylan Marando
Lee Fairclough
Navdeep Bains
Stephanie Bowman
- Convince other people to join you. The more people who do this, the more the candidates will see PR as a key issue. Get friends to Sign up. You probably belong to other advocacy groups. Convince them to sign up. Electoral reform is fundamental to so many issues. PR provides the stability needed for long-term planning in climate action, housing and economic growth. PR prevents the erosion of our democracy and scandals that the PCs are involved in – Freedom of information, Greenbelt scandal, Bill 5 etc.
- Vote on-line from Nov. 9 to Nov. 20. It will be a ranked ballot, so be sure to vote for every acceptable candidate, from your favorite to least.
The candidates’ positions on proportional representation as of August 26 are shown below. Their positions will shift and solidify as the campaign continues. These descriptions will be updated here throughout the fall.
Navdeep Bains does not support proportional representation. He supports Alternate Vote (ranked ballots in single-member ridings) which is not proportional.
Level of support for PR: 0/5
Lee Fairclough will name an MPP as Shadow Critic for Democratic Reform. This person will have the job of working with the NDP and Greens to develop a common platform for proportional representation. Level of support for PR: 3/5
Eric Lombardi has included a section titled Restore Faith That Democracy Can Deliver in his platform. He commits to “Form a binding citizens’ assembly to select a new electoral system. Pass legislation to create the assembly and implement its chosen system by the next election, guided by two simple principles: every vote must count, and local representation must be retained.”
Level of support for PR: 4/5
Dylan Marando has expressed strong support for PR in interviews, but has yet to indicate what sort of leadership he would provide on the issue if elected.
Level of support for PR: 3/5
Stephanie Bowman has only recently joined the contest and her position is unknown.
Level of support for PR: ?/5
The candidates’ positions on proportional representation as of August 26 are shown above. Their positions will shift and solidify as the campaign continues. These descriptions will be updated here throughout the fall.
Let’s encourage the leadership candidates to firm up their positions. We have three candidates prepared to say they support electoral reform, but it’s not always clear what they mean by this.
Let’s work together and elect an Ontario Liberal leader who will work for PR. The outcome of this leadership contest is critical to our effort to bring in PR and finally get the governments we vote for!
Barbara Schumacher
Cooperate for Canada