Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for this conversation. We listened to Canadians. Over 60% said that we need to review other options and we need to move beyond the status quo. We committed to bringing forward a committee made up of all parties of this House to review the opti

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for the media. I believe nothing is more important to democracy than a well-informed electorate. I also believe we need to listen to those whose voices have not been included in this conversation, like those with disabilities and except

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, after that Freudian slip, let us take a moment to reflect on how we got here. Our commitment to increase the trust and confidence that Canadians have in our democratic institutions began as a result of 10 years of trampling on our democratic institutions by the party

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to my meeting with the member opposite following question period. Canadians asked us to bring our electoral system into the 21st century. We will do that after listening to Canadians, especially those who have traditionally been marginalized. We will

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, why is the member opposite trying to mislead Canadians? The Charlottetown accord referendum—

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows that the Charlottetown accord referendum was not about the way we vote. It was about how the country as a whole would move forward. The member opposite knows that past referenda on electoral reform have disengaged half of the population. L

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I have said, and will continue to say, this is an important opportunity for all of us to engage in an inclusive listening exercise with our constituents. I understand the members opposite have a hard time with the concept of listening, but my job as minister is to l

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, the debate about the motion to strike the all-party committee, which we committed to during the election, has yet to take place in the House. The makeup, the mandate, and the ways that the committee will engage in the conversations are up to every member in the Hous

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, allow me to correct the record. This individual was hired by the Privy Council Office to work as a communications adviser. As a member of Canada's non-partisan public service, I trust the public service and its decision. I hope the opposition will as well.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, I would like to put forward the following. The conversation we are having about a possible end game, that of a referendum, is taking away from the important conversation we need to have here and now about ways to engage Canadians in the process so we can arrive at a

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, is 50% voter turnout okay? We have a philosophical disagreement about our responsibility and the opportunities that exist for this Parliament to modernize our electoral system. Those who do not engage traditionally in the electoral process, like young people, who

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, if the members opposite believe that extending the right to vote to women is a little change, it appears we are on completely different pages. If the members opposite believe that extending the right to indigenous persons is a little change, we need to have a diffe

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, the system we currently have was inherited from the 19th century. We currently exist in a multi-party democracy. We currently exist in a Canada—

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, during the last election, over 60% of Canadians voted for parties that were promising electoral change. Why did Canadians choose this? Our current system is inherited from the 19th century. Canada is one of only three OECD countries that operates under the first p

Democratic Reform  Madam Speaker, let us talk about the facts. The Ontario referendum and the B.C. referendum did not include nearly half of the population of those provinces. I understand that is okay for the member opposite. I understand that the voices of half of Canadians who will be affected