For Immediate Release, March 5, 2014.
FVC encouraged by two bills introduced at Queens Park allowing Toronto to reform its electoral system.
Mitzie Hunter’s Bill 166 and Jonah Schein’s bill 163 offer, for the very first time, the possibility of equal effective votes for Toronto citizens and their representation on Toronto Council in direct proportion to votes cast.
We wish the bill extended the same possibility to citizens in every other Ontario municipality.
In the spirit of direct democracy, the Schein bill clearly lets Toronto City Council adopt any alternative voting system it prefers, and does not give cabinet a veto on it.
We are encouraged that both bills open the door for Toronto Council and all others to consider a more proportional voting method.
The great appeal is that both invite Toronto Council to abolish the stultifying single-member ward system which denies so many Toronto citizens a representative of their choice, discourages voting, and is at the root of many of the city’s political failings.
We urge Toronto Councillors to use the enabling legislation to provide every Toronto citizen an equal effective vote and the opportunity to elect a representative of his or her choice to City Council.
With that they will encourage a democratic awakening in Canada’s largest metropolis.
With that they will erect a beacon for democratic reform and representative democracy in every Canadian legislature at every level of government.
We hope all incumbent Toronto Councillors are ready and willing, with the help of one of these bills, to liberate their inner democrat.
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