LIBERALS BLOCK CONSULTATION WITH NORTH ON ELECTORAL REFORM

QUEEN’S PARK – Today the Liberal members on the Finance Committee used their majority to block a hearing in Northern Ontario on the controversial Municipal Elections Modernization Act, which allows municipalities to change the election voting system with no public consultation.

“I don’t know how you can get less democratic than the Liberals using their majority to block public consultation on electoral reform,” said Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford and PC Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Elections belong to the people, but this government is doing everything they can to ensure that people don’t have the opportunity to be heard.”

An all-party subcommittee agreed to a plan for public hearings on the Municipal Elections Modernization Act, which included a day of travel to be held in North Bay during an upcoming break week for the Legislature. When the report went to committee the Liberal members kept the Toronto hearings, but voted out the travel which would have allowed the northern hearing. 

“No government – at any level – should have the right to change the electoral system without consulting the people,” said Hardeman. “The people who will be running for election under the new voting system shouldn’t be given the sole authority to make that change.”

Bill 181, the Municipal Elections Modernization Act, allows municipal councils to change the voting system for municipal elections from first past the post to ranked ballot without any public consultation. The Ontario PC Caucus has already announced that they will be putting forward an amendment to require a municipal referendum before a council can change their voting system. The referendum could be separate or combined with a municipal election.

“We know that elections in Northern Ontario are different from those in Toronto, which is why we wanted to travel there to hear directly from people who will be impacted by this new bill,” said Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing.  “When it comes to electoral reform the government has a greater responsibility to consult the people, but instead of welcoming the opportunity to hear from the north the government voted it down.”