On a committee like this committee?
Evidence of meeting #35 for Electoral Reform in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was young.
Evidence of meeting #35 for Electoral Reform in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was young.
8:15 p.m.
As an Individual
Anyway, if 10 members are wrong, but one member is right, the issue will be decided by a majority.
8:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
This is the whole thing. You don't really know. It's not always science where you can say that this member has the right answer and everybody else is wrong. It's hard to determine that outcome in advance. I guess it happens sometimes that the minority is correct and it's proven to be the case later on, but there's a democratic process. We all put our heads together to get all the information we can, and make the best decision we can as a group. But there's no guarantee in a democracy.
Ms. May
8:15 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
With permission, you've just put your finger on it: when we all put our heads together. There's one form of decision-making that's efficient, fast, and done by whoever has the power, and there's consensus decision-making which may take longer, but we all put our heads together.
8:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I know. I could see that coming. And some people feel that proportional representation—
8:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Regardless of the system, that's how it should work in committees, and that's what we aim for.
Have I answered your question, Mr. Singh?
8:15 p.m.
Fred Bild As an Individual
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Fred Bild. I congratulate you, and through you, all the members here for facilitating such a sensible and imaginative discussion on an extremely important issue.
I have been attending meetings of this kind for several weeks now. I initially thought I would never be able to decide. There were so many possibilities and problems. Fortunately, at one point, my decision was made, not by the majority, but simply based on common sense.
I am more or less convinced we should have a mixed-member proportional system, with certain adjustments, of course, which have been discussed. I am speaking simply because I think I have a solution to propose to you to resolve some technical difficulties that have been raised today.
I was initially afraid we would tend toward mandatory voting. I thought it would never be adopted, but, after reflecting on it, I think mandatory voting would be a very good thing. I will tell you why. I am sure all of us here are in the habit of reading the polls, both political and otherwise. For every poll, they say the more people are polled, the more representative the poll. Under mandatory voting, it is as though you had nearly a 100% poll result.
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Then you are in favour of proportional representation and mandatory voting.
8:20 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes, because it is a voting system that will establish a very accurate idea of what the electorate wants.
8:20 p.m.
As an Individual
As you will see, it is very simple.
There is a way to resolve, in one go, the issue of the number of vacation days that people should be given, including under mandatory voting, and the issue of the time difference across the country. We select one holiday for the entire country, and polling stations will be open for 24 hours across the country. In this way, no one will have an advantage, and all results will come in at the same time.
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That is an idea that should be considered.
Thank you, Mr. Bild. The time allotted to you is up.
We will continue with Mr. Gorchkov, but I would like Ms. Luthi to step up to microphone No. 2.
Yes, Ms. May?
8:20 p.m.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Chair, it's a teeny biographical detail. Fred Bild was the Canadian ambassador to the People's Republic of China and to Vietnam. He's had a distinguished Canadian diplomatic career, and it's an honour to have him here.
8:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Thank you very much.
It is an honour and a pleasure to have you with us, Mr. Bild. Thank you very much for being here.
Mr. Gorchkov, you now have the floor.
October 3rd, 2016 / 8:20 p.m.
Alexandre Gorchkov As an Individual
I am Alexandre Gorchkov, resident of Côte Saint-Luc, in the Mount Royal riding.
Ever since I became a Canadian citizen I have taken part in all provincial and federal elections, and have voted honestly in accordance with my political convictions. I did not understand how the system worked; I just assumed it was working. When it was explained to me, I was appalled.
Every time, time after time, my vote was simply wasted. My political participation never went past the polling station, because the parties I was voting for never stood a chance in my riding. Of course my vote was counted when the results in our riding were calculated, but as a result it was never counted in Ottawa. It is never counted in policy-making in the legislative process. It's the same with the votes of other members of my family and other Canadians who share similar political views, but never make a majority within their riding.
In the last election, I voted strategically for our Liberal candidate, although the Liberal Party wasn't even my second choice. Then I went to meet my Liberal MP, Mr. Housefather, and found out that our political views are very different, even on such a fundamental issue as the principle of proportionality in sharing power in a democracy. I haven't even hit on other political issues, and yet our MP insists that he's representing the interests of our community, as if all 100,000 citizens share the same interests.
Every time I wanted to raise a problem with parliamentarians, I had to appeal to some other MPs or MNAs whose political views align with mine. My representatives were deaf and dismissive.
My MP pretends that single member representation serves the constituents the best. He's reducing the political interests of citizens to their lawns and backyards, but we care about national and international issues. We care about the pipelines, arms deals, climate change, quality education, and taxes, and we want our representatives in Ottawa to care about all of Canada, too, and not just their communities.
I call on all MPs to stop downgrading us to the few you think you represent at the king's court in Ottawa. The proportionality in representative democracy is not an exotic extravagance. It is necessary condition. It is the value in itself. The number of MPs in a riding and the geographical limits of a riding are not values in themselves.
8:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
No, they're not. When we are elected, yes, we're representing our constituents, but we're representing the whole country as well, on big issues like the ones you mentioned. I think you'd find agreement around this table for that point of view. Would you like to submit that on the web, as well, and have it translated?
8:25 p.m.
As an Individual
Absolutely.
I believe the elected Parliament has the power and responsibility to implement the democratic reform based on consultations with experts and citizens. I don't believe that a referendum is a tool for democracy. It's a hammer, and it's a hatchet that's used for maintaining the status quo.
8:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
That's understood. Thank you.
Would Rhoda Sollazzo come to mike number one, please.
Ms. Luthi, now you have the floor.