Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns is inviting his Nuu-chah-nulth constituents to take part in a series of three Town Hall meetings on Electoral Reform, starting in Port Alberni tonight, Sept. 6.
The meetings are part of a national process to change the way Canadians elect their representatives in Ottawa, Johns told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
“After the (federal) election, the Liberals made a promise that this would be the last unfair, ‘first-past-the-post’ election,” Johns explained.
“We heard through the campaign, that many people – in particular, young people and minorities – feel disenfranchised, and that their voices are not being heard.”
To get people to vote, it is critical to ensure that every vote counts. Historically, Indigenous Canadians have been under-represented in Ottawa, Johns said, both in the number of elected MPs and in having a say in the decision-making process, both at the riding level and in Parliament.
“While our Nuu-chah-nulth people in the remote communities do get out to vote, frequently, in this riding, we have had [MPs] who do not reflect (or acknowledge) the values of these aboriginal communities. Consequently, we are leaving these small communities behind. What I have heard from our voters, whether they are living in Hesquiaht, or living in Port Alberni or Courtenay, is that they want to be heard.”
There are two main options for changing the voting system. Historically, Canadians were once given a preferential ballot, where they could vote for their first and successive choices. In the event that a candidate did not win outright on the first choice, there was a weighted system to include second and third choices, until one candidate exceeded 50 per cent.
Johns said that, personally, he does not feel the preferential ballot is the way to go.
“We [NDP] are going in with no pre-determined, biased position,” he said. But the second option has proven more public support, he noted.
“The party that wins 39 per cent of the popular vote should have 39 per cent of the seats,” Johns said.
Johns noted that, under this system, the federal Green Party would now have seven per cent of the seats (24 MPS as opposed to one) in the House of Commons.
Under the present system, Canadian political parties can win majority governments with 39 per cent of the popular vote, or even less.
“We know that our broken electoral system gave Stephen Harper, and now the Trudeau Liberals, 100 per cent of the political power.”
Despite having that level of power, Johns said the Trudeau Liberals have maintained their position that the voting system must change. Feedback from the Town Hall forums will be submitted to the all-Party Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform in October, and the committee will release its final report to Parliament on Dec. 1.
“This is a historic opportunity to improve the political system,” Johns said. “It is an opportunity to ensure that Aboriginal voices will be heard in all elections, and that Indigenous issues will become a priority for Parliamentarians.”
Johns explained that the Town Hall meetings are not an NDP function, although he will act as emcee at all three events. Representatives from the BC Assembly on Electoral Reform will be on hand, and participants will hear from a different academic expert at each location.
“I will be giving a PowerPoint presentation provided by Ottawa, and I will have my staff taking notes. The expert will give a 15-minute presentation, followed by a public feedback session.”
While the media release refers to “panelists,” Johns said there was a decision to strip down the presentation itself.
“If we went to a panel, we would probably hear more from the panelists. We have two hours. We want to hear from the people.”
The Port Alberni meeting takes place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6 at Hansen Hall, 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Parksville Community and Conference Centre, then at 7 p.m. Sept 8 at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay.
For those who are unable to attend the meetings, Johns said a mail-out has gone out to every home in the riding, with a short questionnaire, so that all constituents can provide their feedback.
Two key questions seek to determine the support for allocating Parliamentary seats based on the percentage of the popular vote, and on the possibility of lowering the voting age.
Johns said while the Electoral Reform Town Hall meetings will not be available online, his office is setting up to present a number of future Town Hall events in an online format, which would allow constituents in remote communities to fully participate, in real time from their own homes.
“We will be having a Small Business Town Hall in October, followed by one on Senior Care. We know how important that is in Aboriginal communities. These will both be available online.”
For more information, contact the Gordon Johns riding office at 1-844-620-9924.
