National Council Election 2018

Every year, FVC elects five members to a three-year term on our national board of directors, the National Council. There are fifteen directors in all.

The election will be conducted online using the Single Transferable Vote, a proportional voting system. The first five candidates elected will have three-year terms.

Four councillors’ terms expire this year: Real Lavergne, Aamir Hussein, June Macdonald and Debbie Rudan, and one seat is currently vacant.

To be elected this year: five councillors to three-year terms.

The deadline for nominations was April 16. Candidates were invited to submit statements in English and/or French. For those who submitted statements in French as well, the French follows the English. Find below the candidate statements for 2018.

If you are eligible to vote, you will receive a ballot by email from OPAVOTE on May 2, 2018. Voting closes May 16, 2018. 

Candidates

Réal Lavergne

I have just completed a two year term on National Council and am interesting in pursuing my involvement.

Membership on Council is a role that I take seriously as a Fair Vote Canada volunteer prepared to dedicate considerable time and effort to our cause. While I have no intention of letting up regardless, being on Council has allowed me to play a certain leadership role and to support other leaders in our movement.

Here is what I feel I have to offer:

• a well-developed understanding of both electoral systems and the political challenges involved in achieving electoral reform;
• strategic thinking and networking skills;
• on-the-ground campaign experience as an active Executive Committee member and organizer in the National Capital Region;
• diplomatic skills and ability to work effectively and constructively with people having different points of view;
• connections with politicians from all parties in the Ottawa region;
• excellent writing, editing and translation skills in both English and French;
• a clear understanding of what it takes for a volunteer-based organization such as FVC to succeed.

I offer my candidacy as someone who is passionate about PR and has some critical skills to offer.

___

Je viens de compléter un mandate de deux ans au conseil, et voudrais poursuivre mon engagement.

C’est un rôle que je prends très au sérieux, qui fait partie de mon engagement en tant que bénévole. J’ai l’intention de continuer à y consacrer la plupart de mon temps et de mes énergies pour notre cause, que je sois élu au conseil ou non. Faire partie du conseil m’a néanmoins permis d’assumer un certain leadership jusqu’à présent et d’appuyer d’autres leaders faisant parti de notre mouvement.

Voici ce qui j’ai à offrir en tant que candidat :    

• une compréhension solide des différents modes de scrutin et des défis politiques auxquels nous faisons face en tant que mouvement;
• de fortes capacités de réflexion stratégique et de réseautage;
• une bonne expérience de terrain en tant qu’organisateur et membre du Comité exécutif de notre section dans la Région de la capitale nationale (fédérale);
• une approche diplomatique qui me permet de collaborer de façon effective et constructive avec des gens partageant différents points de vue;
• des liens avec des politiciens de tous les partis à Ottawa;
• d’excellentes capacités de rédaction et de traduction en anglais et en français;
• une vision claire de ce qu’il faut pour assurer le succès d’un organisme axé sur le bénévolat tel que Représentation équitable au Canada.

Je met ma candidature de l’avant comme personne passionnée par le besoin de moderniser notre système électoral qui a des compétences significatives à offrir.

Dawson Mihichuk

Voter turnout among young people in 2015 skyrocketed, in part because of Justin Trudeau’s promise to end First-Past-The-Post. I would like my vote to help elect an MP I voted for, and I’d like everyone to feel that their vote has meaning.

It was this desire that lead me to send an email, shortly after the election, to Fair Vote asking how I could help. I was thrust into the role of Thunder Bay regional leader. While it was scary at first, it’s been an amazing experience, hosting a consultation in Fort Frances, leading and organizing protests, and presenting to councillors at the Thunder Bay District Municipal League the benefits of ranked-ballots for Ontario municipal elections in multi member districts (STV).

I hope to gain your vote so that I can further this work by sitting on the National Council, using my experience and passion to work to bring PR to Canada at every level of government. I understand the issues and am a passionate advocate on reforming our voting system. Let’s work to elect politicians that will listen to us and follow through with their promises. Let’s work within parties to push the issue of PR to the front of the spotlight come election time. Let’s work together to Make Every Vote Count!

___

La participation électorale parmi les jeunes en 2015 a haussé, en partie à cause de la promesse faite par Justin Trudeau d’annuler le système majoritaire uninominal à un tour.

Je souhaite que mon vote contribue à élire une personne que je soutiens. J’aimerais également que tous sentent que leur vote est important.

C’est ce désir qui m’a poussé à envoyer un email à Representation équitable afin de savoir  comment je pouvais aider. Je suis alors devenu le chef de la région de Thunder Bay. Au début, c’était quelque peu effrayant mais c’est vite devenu une expérience fantastique. J’ai organisé une consultation à Fort Frances, mené et organisé des manifestations et j’ai présenté aux conseillers municipaux du district municipal de Thunder Bay les avantages du vote préférentiel avec plusieurs gagnants (le VUT).

J’espère que vous voterez pour moi afin que je puisse utiliser mon expérience et ma passion pour amener la représentation équitable partout au Canada. Je comprends les enjeux et je suis un fervent défenseur de la réforme du système électoral. Travaillons pour élire des politiciens qui nous écouteront et qui tiendront leurs promesses. Travaillons ensemble pour que les partis politiques traitent de la question de la représentation équitable dans leurs plateformes électorales. Travaillons ensemble pour que chaque vote compte!

Vivian Unger

I have been a member of Fair Vote Canada since 2015. I have participated in protests, letter-writing, phone campaigns, and a meeting with my MP. I created a graphic to demonstrate the difference between Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) and Rural-Urban Proportional (RU-PR)[1], and I spoke before the New Brunswick Electoral Reform Commission on “Proportional Representation: Myths and Misconceptions”[2]. My current interest is pushing for electoral reform for New Brunswick municipalities, and I am in the process of writing a report on the subject.

Having read two books about electoral systems, I have a good grasp of the subject. I know the difference between Pluralistic systems such as First Past The Post, Majoritarian systems such as Alternative Vote, and Proportional Representation.

Why are these distinctions important? It matters whether Canada’s discourse on electoral systems is clear, consistent and intelligible, or whether it consists of a lot of confused bumbling over whether we currently have a Majoritarian system or not (we don’t), or what exactly a “ranked ballot” is (hint: it’s a ballot, not a system).

Confused speech leads to confused thinking and hobbles our ability to win over the average citizen to proportional representation. We can’t convince them that they want it and need it if we can’t make it clear to them what it is and how it’s different from what we have now. Vote for me and I’ll bring clarity to Fair Vote Canada, its writings and its discourse.

If you have any questions, please write to me at vivian dot unger at gmail dot com.

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/5wknsw0t35dncd9/PR-comparison.pdf?dl=0
2. http://vivianskvetch.blogspot.ca/2017/01/proportional-representation-myths-and.html
   

Bob MacKie

Immediate Past President of the Green Party of Canada

Vice President of Fair Voting BC

Director of Saanich Gulf Islands Electoral District Association – Green Party

Past Riding Association President for the Progressive Conservative Party

Past member of Fair Vote Canada (FVC) National Council

1. Comm, Concordia University

MBA, University of Western Ontario

MA, Simon Fraser University

I believe proportional representation (PR) will improve our democratic system by empowering voters, especially young voters, to believe they can be represented, that their vote counts and that they can influence government.

When I was President of the Green Party of Canada; I was successful in getting the National Council to make Voting Reform their top priority and I am still very involved with the party in that regard. I travel fairly often to Ottawa. I am currently very involved in the Yes Campaign For Electoral Reform here in BC and have connections with people in PEI and across the country.

I raised in Lachine Quebec and although my French is spotty now, I believe I can relate to the needs and desires of our members in Quebec.

Proportional Representation has been my raison d’être for over ten years according to my wife. 🙂

Bob MacKie
377 Baker Road, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2N6
[email protected]
Home         250 537-0742
Cell Phone 250 537-6312

Peter Kizoff

Fair Vote Canada members:

I am asking for you support in the upcoming election for one of the 5 new Director positions on the FVC National Council. I have participated in the electoral reform movement since the 2007 Ontario provincial referendum on MMP, first as a member of our local FVC Simcoe County, ON chapter, and then as the president of the chapter from 2013 to the present.

Along with my colleagues I’ve participated in electoral reform presentations to high school Civics classes, college poli-sci courses and area service clubs during this time. We have organized chapter summer AGMs and annual Democracy week events with guest speakers, including our local MPs, MPPs and mayor, in order to spread the word.

In 2016 I created a 3D graphic as part of my ERRE citizen presentation (French translation kindly provided by Craig Scott, former NDP Electoral Reform critic). This graphic has been used by other members of our Simcoe County Tri-party cooperative for additional presentations to MPs and university students.

In 2017 I authored a Simcoe North Federal Liberal EDA resolution (Give Canadians a Better Democracy) calling for a continuation of the electoral reform process. This resolution was voted a priority resolution by the Central ON region (25 EDAs) and led to a presentation at the federal LPC Ontario policy review process November 4, 2017.

My commitments are two:

1. to continue to work intensively and creatively with my FVC colleagues to bring about a made-in-Canada improved voting system for our country, and
2. to change the process leading to this change so that a referendum, if required, must follow a 2 election cycle phase (in either provincial or national jurisdiction) in order that voters can truly understand the benefits of a PR system.

Thank you for your consideration.

Aamir Hussain

My name is Aamir Hussain and I am a long standing member of Fair Vote Canada; having cut my teeth with the Ontario PR referendum in 2007. I am a computer programmer from Mississauga.

I am also the creator, webmaster, and maintainer of wastedvotes.ca, A website that shows the distortion caused by our current out dated voting system that I just updated with the 2015 election in PEI. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

My long tenure with Fair Vote has given me a lot of experience in what can help our organization succeed and what challenges it faces. I believe I am very well suited to help continue to guide the organization as we go into a very exciting period with referendums for PR coming up in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.

Thanks,

Aamir.

Derek Zeisman

My name is Derek Zeisman. I’m seeking a Council seat with Fair Vote Canada for one simple reason: I believe in cooperation and inclusiveness in the way we do our politics. Electoral reform will give us the means to cooperate. The corrosive, confrontational status quo will not.

As a Canadian foreign service officer, I’ve served abroad as a diplomat. Diplomacy is about bringing together disparate, often warring groups in a spirit of compromise and collaboration. This is the best way to bridge societal differences. I believe that cooperation is a beautiful thing.

Why do I mention this? Because cooperation is at the heart of proportional representation. The time has come for a major overhaul of how Canadians vote, and how our elected officials do their work. PR will require our leaders to approach politics from a new, more constructive point of view. Electoral reform will give our elected officials the tools to work together in a spirit of mature, healthy compromise.

My career has focused on the fields of diplomacy, communication, labour relations, organizational development, and human resource management. I have the skill set, and the progressive vision, to help take Fair Vote Canada to the next phase of success. I will work to strengthen both FVC’s internal operations and its public advocacy work.

Finally, I am from British Columbia and reside in BC.  With a very important electoral reform referendum scheduled for November 2018, it is essential for our Council to have strong, dedicated, knowledgeable representatives on the ground who are committed to explaining the logic and fairness of PR to the people of BC.

I would appreciate your support. I will work diligently and cooperatively, across party lines, to place electoral reform front and centre on the national political agenda. Working together, we can bring a 21st century approach to our 19th century system of government!

Many thanks,

Derek Zeisman

___

Je m’appelle Derek Zeisman. Je me présente aux élections du Conseil national de Représentation équitable au Canada pour une simple raison: je crois que la coopération et l’ouverture sont essentielles à notre politique public. La réforme électorale nous donnera les moyens de coopérer. Le statu quo clivant n’accomplira pas cette tâche.

Comme agent du Service Extérieur canadien, j’ai travaillé à l’internationale en tant que diplomate. La diplomatie rassemble des groupes disparates et belligérants dans un esprit de compromis et de collaboration. Ceci est la meilleure façon de combler les différences sociales. Je crois que la coopération est vraiment une belle chose.

Et la place de la coopération par rapport à REC? La coopération est en effet au cœur de la représentation proportionnelle. Il est temps de revoir la façon dont les Canadien(ne)s votent et comment nos élus travaillent. La RP exigera de nos politiciens une vision plus constructive et leur fournira les outils nécessaires afin de travailler ensemble dans un esprit de compromis.

Mon parcours professionnel touche sur les domaines de la diplomatie, la communication, les relations de travail, le développement organisationnel et la gestion des ressources humaines. Je possède les compétences et la vision progressive pour aider à prendre REC à la prochaine étape de son succès. Je travaillerai avec REC pour renforcer ses opérations internes et son travail de sensibilisation public.

Enfin, je viens de la Colombie-Britannique et j’habite ici. Un référendum très important concernant la réforme électorale est prévu en C.-B. en novembre 2018. Donc, c’est essential que notre Conseil ait des représentants solides, dévoués et compétents qui s’engagent à expliquer la logique et l’équité de la RP aux citoyens de la Colombie-Britannique.

Je demande votre soutien. Je travaillerai avec assiduité et en collaboration avec tous les partis politiques afin de placer la réforme électorale au cœur du programme politique national. Ensemble, nous pouvons mettre en œuvre une approche digne du 21e siècle à la place de notre système gouvernementale du 19ème siècle!

Merci beaucoup,

Derek Zeisman

June Macdonald

Joining FVC, at its inauguration about 2000, was one of the best things I have done. I got interested through a talk by Doris Anderson a few years earlier. She said that European countries produced better legislation for women because they elected more women and they elected more women because they used proportional representation.

I was astonished since I had no idea that so many countries voted differently from us. I became acutely aware that governments with less than 50% citizen support were passing laws not supported by a true majority of Canadians’ representatives.

When FVC started I joined and have been active ever since. I served on national council a number of years. However, the outcome of ERRE and PM’s conclusion on that reports lead me to conclude I may be able to contribute again at the national level.

I have been on the local executive as co chair or treasurer for a number of years and have been active with the FVC letter writers’ team and Women for Fairvoting. Retired, having worked for over 20 years as a college instructor. I was was technical manager of a hospital microbiology laboratory for a number of years before that. I also did some original quantitative and qualitative research projects.

All of these skills and this experience have been useful in advocacy for electoral reform.

These past years have given me a perspective of how far we have come. Making major change is not easy. Even with evidence and justice to support our claims, change …. big change is a big ask.

How can we accept that the views of one man, even one as charismatic as the one we have, as the only voice to speak for and govern 35 million Canadians?

Mark Mitchell

I’m running for National Council for three reasons:

1.       I have been campaigning for proportional representation for over 30 years, both in the UK and Canada – and I’ve been consistent in those views, whether supporting a party in first, second or third place.  First past the post is a historical vestige of the Westminster system whose time has come and gone – and proportional representation is the right answer for any democracy and any level of government. 
2.       I am, and will continue to, play a key role in our work to win PR in BC, as a Director and Treasurer of our BC joint campaigning organization, as Chair of the Executive of our BC Chapter, and as someone who is also deeply engaged in Federal Politics.  Our BC chapters are working hard with allies to win the referendum and we need to build on that momentum. A key focus for me would be looking at how we improve communication between our Chapters. We have some very successful chapters in BC, and some smaller ones – and the smaller ones are learning how to improve through regular calls and discussions.  When we win in BC and PEI, we need to take those organizational successes and repeat them across the country. 
3.       I am not afraid to speak my mind – even when expressing views that may not be palatable to leaders.  However, speaking your mind must come with listening – to Fair Vote Canada members and supporters, and to voters across Canada.  Listening will improve our campaign techniques and help us to persuade those who don’t support us in every political party to change their minds.

If you elect me, I will campaign hard and listen harder as we seek to take this movement forward.

Mark Mitchell
[email protected]
604-562-0733

_____

Je me présente au Conseil national pour trois raisons.

1.   Je fais campagne pour la représentation proportionnelle depuis plus de 30 ans, tant au Royaume-Uni qu’au Canada. J’ai toujours gardé la même opinion, que ce soit en soutenant un parti en première, deuxième ou troisième place. Le scrutin majoritaire uninominal à un tour est un vestige historique du système de Westminster dont le temps est révolu. La représentation proportionnelle est la solution à toute démocratie et à tout ordre de gouvernement. 
2.   Je joue et continuerai de jouer un rôle déterminant dans notre travail pour obtenir une représentation proportionnelle en Colombie-Britannique, en tant que directeur et trésorier de notre organisation de campagne conjointe de la Colombie-Britannique, président du conseil d’administration de notre section de la Colombie-Britannique, et membre actif de la scène politique fédérale. Nos sections de la Colombie-Britannique travaillent fort auprès d’alliés pour remporter le référendum, et nous devons continuer sur cette lancée. À mon avis, une des priorités serait d’examiner comment nous pouvons améliorer la communication entre nos sections. Nous avons des sections très prospères en Colombie-Britannique, et d’autres plus petites. Les plus petites apprennent à s’améliorer au moyen de discussions et d’appels réguliers. Lorsque nous gagnerons en Colombie-Britannique et à l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard, nous devrons nous inspirer de ces succès organisationnels et les répéter partout au pays. 
3.   Je n’ai pas peur de dire ce que je pense, même lorsque j’émets des opinions qui ne sont peut-être pas acceptables aux yeux des dirigeants. Toutefois, il ne suffit pas de s’exprimer; il faut aussi savoir écouter. Il est important de prêter attention aux membres et aux partisans du Mouvement pour la représentation équitable au Canada, ainsi qu’aux électeurs de partout au pays. L’écoute renforcera nos techniques de campagne et nous aidera à convaincre de changer d’avis ceux qui ne nous soutiennent pas, dans tous les partis politiques.

Si vous m’élisez, je mènerai une campagne vigoureuse et serai entièrement à l’écoute afin de faire progresser ce mouvement.

Daniel Rae

I am currently a Political Science and Philosophy student at the University of Ottawa.

I have supported proportional representation since I was 15 years old when it was disparaged in a history class. My first vote was cast at age 18, in 2015, in the hope that I’d never have to vote strategically again. I involved myself with the ERRE public consultation process, pushing for PR with my MP until the promise was broken.

I’ve been involved in Fair Vote Canada’s Ottawa chapter ever since. I was one of the principal organizers of the National Day of Action on Ottawa, and helped organize fellow University of Ottawa students in support of the FVC campaign in the Ottawa Vanier byelection. I am a member of the Ottawa chapter Executive Commitee.

For those who would like to know me better, you might be interested to listen to some or all of my speech, representing Canadian youth, at FVC’s rally on the Hill on May 29, 2017. Here is the link.

Daniel Rae