Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I will stick to my quotations, but without using any names. I will continue:
...all this hurried brainstorming will not be preceded or accompanied by an information campaign on the various voting systems, a task that could have been given to an independent organization, such as Elections Canada.
Voting belongs to the people. It is their tool for selecting their representatives. Since time is short...the whole process is being left up to those same elected representatives who know very well which system will work most to their advantage. One only has to look at their past positions to find out...
Holding the 2019 election under a new voting system imposes a tight deadline that does not give Canadians a chance to have a proper debate, like the ones that took place in Quebec...British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and PEI.
In each case, a referendum was held and the people refused what the government was proposing.
I will continue:
The people will not have the final say, either, because the government has ruled out the idea of a referendum. Yes, time is short, and so is coherence.
Here is another quote:
Electoral reform could require reopening the Constitution. The Liberal government could plunge the country into a constitutional mess against its will.
There are a lot of quotes like those ones. Here is the last one I will share:
Imagine if the reform leads to disinterest and lower voter turnout; that would be a disaster. A referendum would ensure that the public is in agreement.
We are simply saying that it is not up to the elected officials in the House to control the very foundation of our democracy, which gives men and women the opportunity to govern for four years. The public should have this control. Let us put our trust in the public. Let us be sensible with them, and they will be sensible with us. That is how we can change the culture of disinterest.