M-86 Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Motion Text
(a) the House recognize that,
(i) representative democracy is a fundamental part of Canadian society,
(ii) in Canada’s current electoral system, the majority of voters cast ballots for a candidate who does not get elected, and many voters feel that election results do not accurately reflect their views,
(iii) a Leger poll conducted in September 2020 showed that 80% of Canadians support the idea of striking a non-partisan, independent citizens’ assembly on electoral reform,
(iv) many Canadians are concerned with the health of Canada’s democracy, including voter distrust and disengagement, low voter turnout, and the polarization of politics,
(v) all politicians, and all parties, are widely perceived by the public to have a vested interest in the design of the electoral system,
(vi) citizens' assemblies have considerable legitimacy and public trust because they are independent, non-partisan, representative bodies of citizens,
(vii) citizens’ assemblies have been used successfully in Canada, Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom to tackle difficult issues through nuanced public deliberation,
(viii) a citizens' assembly on electoral reform would give citizens a leadership role in building consensus on a specific model for electoral reform for Canada; and
(b) in the opinion of the House, the government should create a Canadian citizens’ assembly on electoral reform, which would,
(i) consist of citizens selected by sortition, an impartial selection process to ensure the assembly’s independence and non-partisanship,
(ii) reflect the diversity of the Canadian population, including a representation and meaningful participation of age groups, genders, ethnicities, languages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic regions including from First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples,
(iii) determine if electoral reform is recommended for Canada, and, if so, recommend specific measures that would foster a healthier democracy.
Latest Activity
- February 7, 2024
- Decision Made - Negatived
History
- June 12, 2023
-
Placed on Notice
- September 20, 2023
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Placed in the Order of Precedence
- November 7, 2023
- Debated
- February 5, 2024
- Debated
- February 7, 2024
- Decision Made - Negatived
Joint Seconders (20)
Jointly seconding a private Member's motion is a formal way for up to 20 Members to show support for the motion before it is called for debate. They are displayed in the order they were received by the Clerk of the House.
Jointly seconded on June 14, 2023
Jointly seconded on July 12, 2023
Jointly seconded on August 2, 2023
Jointly seconded on August 3, 2023
Jointly seconded on September 26, 2023
Jointly seconded on September 29, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 11, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 12, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 16, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 18, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 19, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 20, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 23, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 24, 2023
Jointly seconded on October 27, 2023
Jointly seconded on November 2, 2023