Liberals are obligated to fulfil reform vow

On Wednesday, there will be a free vote in the House of Commons on whether or not to adopt the recommendations of the all-party committee on electoral reform (ERRE). Roughly 88 per cent of both the experts and the general public who spoke up at that committee’s hearings across Canada recommended an electoral upgrade for Canada to a proportional representation system.

Our current system fails dramatically and frequently, resulting in unearned majorities for less popular parties, and voter disengagement.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party held campaign rallies, in the run-up to the 2015 election, in which they painted themselves as the party that would deliver proportional elections by 2019.

Trudeau has unilaterally announced that his government would not honour that commitment.

It is critical that Canada stop delivering 100-per-cent parliamentary power to parties boasting less than 40 per cent of electors’ votes. It is critical that the ERRE committee’s report be adopted, and therefore that Liberal members of Par- liament vote to honour that pledge. If the Liberal party continues to govern against their very clear and prominent campaign pledge to Canadian voters, then they are in contempt of democratic principles and voters’ informed consent.

Surely the Liberal Party and their leader, Justin Trudeau, understand the importance of informed consent? D’Arcy McLenaghen, Toronto