Electoral Reform committee  I would ramp that up with a civics education program that restores civics in our educational systems, because the ignorance about the way our system works is amazing, probably even for some of you until you get here. That's why we're mixing models. Maybe we want to mix models, bu

Electoral Reform committee  I think it's partially the same answer. Civic education for new Canadians is their opportunity. They even may have come to us because of our model of governance. We don't know that. I was born in Italy, and when my parents emigrated from Italy, I was steeped in what the Canadian

Electoral Reform committee  I would say that the issue is about behaviours, in addition to everything else we've talked about. No complex issue, whether it's homelessness or any of the others you can point to, can be fixed by one minister, one ministry, one department, one anything. They're complex issues

Electoral Reform committee  Whatever voting system does that, fill your boots.

Electoral Reform committee  I have to agree fundamentally with that as well. It is an ecosystem. I'm not suggesting that you throw up your arms because it's complicated, because we know what its component pieces are. Do we need some kind of change? Yes. Canadians are telling us that they want change. I wou

Electoral Reform committee  I agree.

Electoral Reform committee  I don't think there's a relationship. That's because of the nature of the complexity and the issues, and the multi-parties, and all of the issues that are associated with actually casting your franchise, so I'm not going to go there.

Electoral Reform committee  I think I've made that clear, but I think the system works something like the following, Mr. Chair, through you to Mr. Richards. We elect individuals who compose Parliament and we ask them the most complex questions for deliberation on our behalf. Your job is then to go out and

Electoral Reform committee  In my judgment, you are a great proxy for that, as are the legislative and executive arms of government, and should the three of you be doing something wacko, the courts will be there to observe the view, and Canadians too.

Electoral Reform committee  I would say we place a fundamental trust in our elected officials that they will rise above that and make the best call for all Canadians.

Electoral Reform committee  Let's not forget that we want to get them to the polls first.

Electoral Reform committee  I could give you a response on the degree to which they might match so that you can make the deliberation of where you want to go.

Electoral Reform committee  I would be happy to do so. I'll do it for you in writing.

Electoral Reform committee  It's hard to tell you how to implement something before you tell me what you're proposing to implement, but if I look at it as a conversation with Canadians that ends in implementation, I've given you some of the elements already. If one of the things we're trying to do is draw m

Electoral Reform committee  I would support that description. Our model of governance has evolved from the model of responsible government that we evolved to before the BNA Act, and that system has evolved continuously. There are some provisions in the Constitution that speak to it. The rest is convention a