Trudeau vows to bring sweeping reforms
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau has promised a Liberal government will change the way Canadians elect their federal politicians, one of several proposed reforms meant to bring “real change” to Ottawa and fix what he sees as the damage caused by a decade of Conservative rule.
The sweeping proposals, which will be a major component of the Liberals’ election platform in the fall, include: a commitment to get rid of the first-past-the-post voting system; give more power to backbench MPs; create equal representation between men and women in cabinet; and ban partisan government advertising.
In unveiling them Tuesday, the Liberal leader, whose party has been slumping in the polls, was forced to defend his own record on upholding democratic ideals.
Trudeau presented his plan for “fair and open government” at a campaign-style event at the Chateau Laurier. Flanked by more than 100 cheering Liberal MPs and candidates, he blasted Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “partisanship and petty politics,” and said Canadians are “becoming cynical” about government.
“What we need is real change and leadership that fixes what Stephen Harper has broken,” he said.
Central to his plan is fixing an electoral system in which many Canadians feel their vote does not count. Trudeau said if the Liberals are elected in October, “the 2015 election will be the last federal election using first past the post.”
The Liberal leader did not detail what would replace first past the post. Instead, he said a special, all-party parliamentary committee would study proportional representation, preferential balloting and other options, and a Liberal government would introduce legislation within 18 months to change the existing system.
Trudeau is not the first political leader in Canada to say he will get rid of the first-past-the-post system, but his promise to introduce legislation rather than hold a referendum is novel. Similar plans to eliminate first past the post at the provincial level have failed in Ontario, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.
Trudeau has previously supported preferential balloting, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, over proportional representation, in which parties receive a percentage of seats in the House of Commons equal to their share of the popular vote.
The Liberal leader spoke broadly about the need for transparency, openness and respect in government. He promised more power for backbenchers, more oversight for Canada’s spy agencies, and real independence for government watchdogs.
Emmett Macfarlane, a political scientist at the University of Waterloo, described Trudeau’s plan as “interesting” and will allow for a much-needed national discussion on electoral reform.
But “if we’re waiting until after the campaign to have this consultation, are they just going to be pushing through whatever preferred system they have in mind now?” he said.
Many of Trudeau’s commitments amount to reversing Conservative government policies, including letting federal scientists speak more freely about their work, bringing back the long-form census and reinstating home delivery at Canada Post.
The Liberal leader was forced to explain how his promises match up with several of his actions since he took the party’s reins in April 2013.
For example, he was asked why people should believe he will strengthen question period when his attendance there has been poor.
“People can understand this place is broken,” Trudeau replied. “That’s why we’ve put forward a plan for real change that involves question periods where questions are actually answered.”
He also defended his pledge to hold open nomination races, a pledge questioned by some Liberals whose efforts to run were blocked or outright rejected because, they argued, the party had a preferred candidate in their riding.