Electoral Reform Committee on Aug. 31st, 2016

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

It was 2007.

[Taylor Gunn]

Yes, the fall of 2007 in Ontario. We also did a parallel students' assembly on electoral reform in 2007. We gathered 103 kids and put them through a five-day boot camp on electoral systems. I did feel bad for the kids, but they loved it. They went back to their schools. We did a tandem classroom consultation and had 5,000 Ontario kids participate. The kids come back and presented to the assembly what the students' opinions were: MMP. The assembly then recommended MMP to Ontario citizens.

So yes, if there's a referendum, among other things we'd be planning on doing a parallel one.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Excellent.

I'm curious. Did the results of those referendum much of the time—or maybe all of the time—mirror the election result amongst the actual voters?

[Taylor Gunn]

Yes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Was that true in the case of the referendums as well? Was the result the same, or was it mirrored?

[Taylor Gunn]

I think they might have voted yes for MMP in Ontario in 2007, and I would have to go back to 2009 and 2005.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Okay, I asked more out of curiosity than anything else.

[Taylor Gunn]

What's interesting is that, in Ontario at least, it did imitate the lower participation in casting a referendum ballot. We suffered the same thing in schools.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

In terms of timelines, in order to conduct a side-by-side referendum, what would your organization need to do that?

[Taylor Gunn]

It's additional work, but we could factor that in to whatever timeline we're used to having with the Student Vote program.

I could expand on comments around what you think I would suggest for adults, but we're used to doing a lot in little time, as I'm sure all three of us are.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Great. Thank you very much.

[Taylor Gunn]

Could you give me 10 seconds just to quickly say something?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Sure.

[Taylor Gunn]

Actually, John, there is a great urgency in this conversation. The Prime Minister said it's our last election under first past the post, so there's urgency.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[John Taylor]

I'll say something that's really important. This is different from any other conversation that took place in each of those three previous referendums. I don't know P.E.I. from a little while back, but at least in B.C. and Ontario, no politician, especially a premier, came out and said they wanted that system. That's why this is a much different system, and that's why I would suggest that anyone who is afraid of a referendum shouldn't be. The parties have way more at stake if they proceed with those same positions going into a referendum.

There's urgency. It could be the last way we vote, and we could change the system we've had for almost 150 years.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Are you indicating that you think it would be a good thing for the public to be engaged in a referendum on this topic?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Answer very briefly, please.

[Taylor Gunn]

I would love to get into that. I am sure we all would, but did I use up all of my time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, you did. Take 15 seconds to answer that question.

[Taylor Gunn]

I think, as it has been said by several of your witnesses, including today, if you don't do a really thorough, substantial, and what can be considered credible consultation process, I don't see how you can't go to a referendum, presuming that this would then cause the consultation you didn't.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Sorry, I am a little unclear. What you are saying is that there needs to be a thorough consultation process, and then a referendum would be—

[Taylor Gunn]

What I am saying is that right now I don't think this is thorough. I am suggesting that you make it thorough.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Sorry, I just want to make sure that it is clear.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Let's just clear this up, yes.