Liberal Party of Canada Democratic Reform critic, Scott Simms, voted against an amendment to the Fair Elections Act that would have implemented Liberal Party policy.
“Liberal members voted for a study of electoral reform options including proportional representation at their policy convention in February. Also, the Liberal caucus made democratic reform, including a study of proportional representation, its top policy priority in December 2013. “We do not understand how Mr. Simms can ignore both Liberal members and the Liberal caucus by voting against such a study in a House of Commons committee,” said Fair Vote Canada president Doug Bailie.
FVC executive director Kelly Carmichael said “democratic reformers in all parties were much encouraged by Justin Trudeau’s openness to equal and effective votes, as well as a more democratic House of Commons. “Liberals and others who want to modernize Canada’s democracy are wondering why a Liberal MP would simply ignore a convention vote of the Liberal membership,” she said.
“To restore some credibility to Liberal Party policy Liberal MPs need to show Canadians they support their policy and democratic reform within Parliament, not vote against it,” Carmichael said.
Fair Vote Canada is a grassroots, multi-partisan campaign representing over 34,000 Canadians in support of proportional representation.
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BACKGROUND
In February, Liberal Party of Canada members voted in their biennial convention for a resolution proposed by the Liberal Parliamentary caucus as a priority motion. That resolution, titled “Restoring Trust in Canada’s Democracy”, included the following party commitment:
RESOLVED THAT immediately after the next election, an all-Party process be instituted, involving expert assistance and citizen participation, to report to Parliament within 12 months with recommendations for electoral reforms including, without limitation, a preferential ballot and/or a form of proportional representation, to represent Canadians more fairly and serve Canada better.
On May 1, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs voted on an amendment sponsored by Green Party leader Elizabeth May to add the following provision to Bill C-23, Fair Elections Act:
“535.4 (1) Within two years after the coming into force of this section, the committee of the Senate and the committee of the House of Commons that normally consider electoral matters shall each undertake a comprehensive review of the provisions and operation of this Act, that includes a consideration of the matters referred to in subsection (3).
(3) The review referred to in subsection (1) shall include a consideration of the feasibility of adopting existing proportional electoral systems to replace the current first-past-the-post system, with a view to providing electors with equal, effective votes and representation in the House of Commons that reflects closely the distribution of votes cast, to the extent that such systems are consistent with the Constitution of Canada.”
The Liberal Party democratic reform critic Scott Simms and five Conservative MPs to defeat May’s motion. NDP democratic reform critic Craig Scott and two other New Democrats voted for it. May, who is not allowed to be a member of any House committee, could not vote.