Electoral Reform committee  Yes, but there is, in the scheme that I'm talking about, a certain restriction on the size of voting group that you would have to have in order to get an MP elected. Very minor religions wouldn't be able to do that. I don't ask for nationwide proportionality. I ask for it within

Electoral Reform committee  There are some people who regard a religious view as a political view. You can't avoid that. I don't think it would have any great impact as the case is. I just pulled out the possibility that if there is an identifiable minority that is very active in terms of its own internal a

Electoral Reform committee  How do you get more people out, more minorities out? Well, I'm a minority. I have only voted for two MPs, twice, and I had my candidate win. I have a minority view of the world, and I actually resent the fact that my view doesn't get properly expressed.

Electoral Reform committee  I'm a minority, and all minorities should be coming out—

Electoral Reform committee  Well, I'm a minority, because majorities win power and my party doesn't. That's very simple, that's all I'm talking about. I would like to see a parliament in which I would be represented to the degree that fellow travellers in my views of the country... and I think there is a

Electoral Reform committee  No, I didn't say that.

Electoral Reform committee  I think I said you may end up getting a whole bunch of Sikhs.

Electoral Reform committee  They're an individual group of people who could conceivably decide that they're going to form a party of their own.

Electoral Reform committee  Under a new system. I think they have a perfect right to do so if they want to.

Electoral Reform committee  Everybody who has a legitimate view of the world has the right to have that expressed in Parliament in proportion to the degree that they do. I would hope very much that we would stay ecumenical since, really, it would be unfortunate.

Electoral Reform committee  I hope not, but if a religious group could get enough votes then they deserve to be represented. I don't see anything wrong with it. I would certainly put in provisions that they had to have a reason—

Electoral Reform committee  Yes. I think I've tried to deal with the problem of large ridings in the north, but in provinces, by simply including them despite their slightly lower populations. If they're unreasonably large, and you can't make them any larger...by including them as if they are ridings in all

Electoral Reform committee  May I comment?

Electoral Reform committee  The government, if it brings in a system that is unfair, will have to face the population, and I think one should look very carefully at the situation. In B.C., when they went to the alternative vote, both of the parties in favour of that were booted at the next election. I think

Electoral Reform committee  I don't see it as a different matter. People in Canada have the right to vote. Minority groups in Canada do not have the right to have their vote properly recognized, so this is a minority right.