Trudeau drops the ball on electoral reform

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (photo: PMO)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swept electoral reform under the carpet this week claiming in the House of Commons that there is no consensus on how to do it or what to replace the current first-past-the-post system with.

For thousands of Canadians who voted Liberal in the last election because they wanted a change, this is a huge betrayal.

In the current system, if a party wins the majority of seats in Ontario and Québec, it has basically won a majority government. What happens west of the Ontario - Manitoba border can make little difference to the outcome of an election.

The NDP and the Green Party were particularly upset about the Liberal’s policy shift, as they had much to gain from a proportional representational voting system.

At a press conference, the NDP’s democratic reform critic, Nathan Cullen, called Mr. Trudeau a liar and the most cynical variety of politician who will say anything to get elected and then come up with any excuse to justify that lie to Canadians.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May was equally upset.

"I feel more deeply shocked today by this government's actions than any other in my adult life. Thousands upon thousands of Canadians put faith in this government's – and in this prime minister's – direct promise that 2015 would be the last election under first-past-the-post. This betrayal is one felt by all voters, volunteers and activists who worked diligently to make this country's democracy fairer and stronger through meaningful electoral reform.”

Instead of finding a replacement for the current system, Mr. Trudeau has told Karina Gould, the minister of democratic institutions to concentrate on ensuring the next election is secure from cyber-attacks and foreign meddling.