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The '''House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform (ERRE)''' ({{lang-fr|Comité spécial sur la réforme électorale}}) was a [[special committee]] of the [[House of Commons of Canada]] established in 2016 during the [[42nd Canadian Parliament]] to investigate reforms to the [[Canadian electoral system]]. The formation of "an all-party Parliamentary committee to review... [electoral] reforms" was an election promise by
==Establishment==
On May 10, 2016, Maryam Monsef gave notice in the House of Commons of the government's plans for the composition of the Special Committee.<ref>[http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&DocId=8254254&File=12 Order Paper and Notice Paper No. 53, May 11, 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812232151/http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=8254254&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&File=12 |date=August 12, 2016 }}, Parliament of Canada website, retrieved July 4, 2016.</ref> The initial proposed structure of the Special Committee was
The structure of the Special Committee was criticized by the opposition party leaders, as the government would have possessed a majority of the committee seats and could unilaterally recommend alterations to the electoral system without the support of any other party. Interim Conservative leader [[Rona Ambrose]], the [[Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada)|Leader of the Official Opposition]], denounced the plan as "stacking the deck", while [[Nathan Cullen]], the NDP critic for Democratic Institutions, urged the government to reconsider this plan as well. The Green Party and Bloc Québécois additionally objected to their lack of voting representation on the committee.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Raj|first1=Althia|title=Liberals To Keep Majority On New Electoral Reform Committee|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/11/liberals-electoral-reform-committee_n_9902158.html|access-date=September 2, 2016|work=Huffington Post Canada|date=May 11, 2016|archive-date=September 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902121948/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/11/liberals-electoral-reform-committee_n_9902158.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
On June 2, 2016, Monsef announced that the government would support a motion by Cullen to alter the structure of the committee to have seats allocated based on percentage of the popular vote in the 2015 election and give the Bloc Québécois and Greens one voting seat each on the committee.<ref name="torstar new committee makeup">{{cite news|last1=Boutilier|first1=Alex|title=Liberals give up majority control on electoral reform committee|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/02/liberals-give-up-majority-on-voting-committee-in-major-win-for-ndp.html|accessdate=July 2, 2016|work=Toronto Star|date=June 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Stone|first1=Laura|title=Liberals agree to give majority to Opposition on electoral reform committee|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-agree-to-surrender-majority-on-electoral-reform-committee/article30244700|accessdate=September 2, 2016|work=The Globe and Mail|date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> The Liberal caucus on the committee would have in effect only four voting members, as the chair would not vote unless there was a tie.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Coyne|first1=Andrew|title=Committee on electoral reform now a working model of proportional representation|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andrew-coyne-committee-on-electoral-reform-now-a-working-model-of-proportional-representation|accessdate=September 2, 2016|date=June 3, 2016}}</ref>▼
▲On June 2, 2016, Monsef announced that the government would support a motion by Cullen to alter the structure of the committee to have seats allocated based on percentage of the nationwide popular vote in the 2015 election and give the Bloc Québécois and Greens one voting seat each on the committee.<ref name="torstar new committee makeup">{{cite news|last1=Boutilier|first1=Alex|title=Liberals give up majority control on electoral reform committee|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/02/liberals-give-up-majority-on-voting-committee-in-major-win-for-ndp.html|
On June 7, 2016, Cullen's motion, seconded by NDP MP [[Matthew Dubé]], was approved by the House of Commons. The special committee was thereby empowered to "conduct a study of viable alternate voting systems to replace the first-past-the-post system, as well as to examine [[compulsory voting|mandatory voting]] and [[online voting]]", all with an eye to improving the legitimacy, integrity, and inclusiveness of the voting system, and the extent to which it could facilitate local representation and citizen engagement. The motion directed that the committee's membership be named by the party whips within ten sitting days of its passage, and that the committee issue its final report to the House of Commons no later than December 1, 2016.<ref>[http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/ERRE/About About the Special Committee], Parliament of Canada, retrieved July 4, 2016.</ref> This deadline was extended to June 23, but this proved to be unnecessary, as the final membership was deposited with the clerk of the House on June 17.<ref>[http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&DocId=8377671 Journals of the House of Commons of Canada, 42nd Parliament, 1st Session, No. 75], June 17, 2016.</ref> The committee held its first meeting on June 21, 2016.▼
On June 7, 2016, Cullen's motion, seconded by NDP MP [[Matthew Dubé]], was approved by the House of Commons. The special committee was thereby empowered to "conduct a study of viable alternate voting systems to replace [[First-past-the-post voting|the first-past-the-post system]], as well as to examine [[compulsory voting|mandatory voting]] and [[online voting]]", all with an eye to improving the legitimacy, integrity, and inclusiveness of the voting system and the extent to which it could facilitate local representation and citizen engagement.
==Citizen submissions ==▼
▲
The deadline for making submissions to the committee was October 7, 2016. Citizens were able to make submissions online, attend [[town hall meeting]]s hosted by Members of Parliament or attend committee hearings which were held in cities across Canada in September and early October 2016.<ref name="ottawacitizen_2016_09">{{cite news |title=Hilderman and Prest: Don't leave it to 'experts' – Here's how you, too, can tackle electoral reform |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/hilderman-and-prest-dont-leave-it-to-experts-heres-how-you-too-can-tackle-electoral-reform|accessdate=October 10, 2016 |date=September 19, 2016 |first1=Jane |last1=Hilderman |first2=Stewart |last2=Prest|publisher=Ottawa Citizen}}</ref>▼
By October 8, 2016 a poll by [[Mainstreet Research]] for the ''Ottawa Citizen'' revealed that, while 45 per cent of Ottawa voters are following the electoral reform process and that a two in three Ottawa residents favour reforms, most of those surveyed missed out on local townhall meetings on electoral reform already held by MPs because they were not aware that they were happening.<ref name="ottawacitizen_2016_10">{{cite news|title=Editorial: Door's closing on your chance to tell MPs what you think about electoral reform |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-doors-closing-on-your-chance-to-tell-mps-what-you-think-about-electoral-reform▼
▲The deadline for making submissions to the committee was October 7, 2016. Citizens were able to make submissions online, attend [[town hall meeting]]s hosted by Members of Parliament or attend committee hearings which were held in cities across Canada in September and early October 2016.<ref name="ottawacitizen_2016_09">{{cite news |title=Hilderman and Prest: Don't leave it to 'experts' – Here's how you, too, can tackle electoral reform |url=
▲By October 8, 2016 a poll by [[Mainstreet Research]] for the ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'' revealed that, while 45 per cent of [[Ottawa]] voters are following the electoral reform process and that
==Membership==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="2"| Party !! Member !! District
<!-- DO NOT CHANGE Thériault to GPQ, at the time the committee existed he was BQ -->
{{Canadian party colour|CA|
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|row}}||[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]|| [[Scott Reid (politician)|Scott Reid]], vice-chair || [[Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston (federal electoral district)|Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston]], [[Ontario|ON]]
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|row}}||[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]|| [[Gérard Deltell]]|| [[Louis-Saint-Laurent (electoral district)|Louis-Saint-Laurent]], QC
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative|row}}||[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]|| [[Blake Richards]]{{efn|Richards was appointed to the committee on August 12, 2016 to replace fellow Alberta-based Conservative MP [[Jason Kenney]], who was elected in 2015 for the riding of [[Calgary Midnapore]]. Kenney resigned as an MP to seek the leadership of the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta]].}} || [[Banff—Airdrie]], [[Alberta|AB]]
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Green|row}}||[[Green Party of Canada|Green]]|| [[Elizabeth May]] || [[Saanich—Gulf Islands]], [[British Columbia|BC]]
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} ||[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] || [[Francis Scarpaleggia]], chair || [[Lac-Saint-Louis (electoral district)|Lac-Saint-Louis]], QC
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} ||[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] || [[John Aldag]] || [[Cloverdale—Langley City]], BC
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} ||[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] || [[Matt DeCourcey]] || [[Fredericton (federal electoral district)|Fredericton]], [[New Brunswick|NB]]
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} ||[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] || [[Sherry Romanado]] || [[Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne]], QC
{{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} ||[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] || [[Ruby Sahota]] || [[Brampton North (federal electoral district)|Brampton North]], ON
{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|row}} ||[[New Democratic Party|New Democratic]] || [[Nathan Cullen]], vice-chair || [[Skeena—Bulkley Valley]], BC
{{Canadian party colour|CA|NDP|row}} ||[[New Democratic Party|New Democratic]] || [[Alexandre Boulerice]] || [[Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie (federal electoral district)|Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie]], QC
|}
==Witnesses==
The committee heard from numerous public servants, academics, members of the public, and electoral officers from Canada and around the world.<ref>{{cite news |last=Special Committee on Electoral Reform |title=Witnesses |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/ERRE/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=9013025 |access-date=2016-08-25 |archive-date=2016-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825073401/http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/ERRE/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=9013025 |url-status=live }}</ref> The first witness before the committee was [[Maryam Monsef]], [[Minister of Democratic Institutions]], who outlined the government's approach.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wherry |first=Aaron |title=Maryam Monsef tells Commons committee first-past-the-post voting system is 'antiquated' |journal=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wherry-monsef-committee-1.3666961 |date=July 6, 2016 |access-date=August 25, 2016 |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823231237/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wherry-monsef-committee-1.3666961 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=
▲The committee heard from numerous public servants, academics, members of the public, and electoral officers from Canada and around the world.<ref>{{cite news|last=Special Committee on Electoral Reform |title=Witnesses |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/Committees/en/ERRE/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=9013025}}</ref> The first witness before the committee was [[Maryam Monsef]], [[Minister of Democratic Institutions]], who outlined the government's approach.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wherry|first=Aaron |title=Maryam Monsef tells Commons committee first-past-the-post voting system is 'antiquated' |journal=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wherry-monsef-committee-1.3666961}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=[[CPAC (TV channel)|CPAC]] |title=In Committee from the House of Commons - Special Committee on Electoral Reform - July 6, 2016 |url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/in-committee-house-of-commons/episodes/48281293/}}</ref> The following day, [[Chief Electoral Officer (Canada)|Chief Electoral Officer]] [[Marc Mayrand]]<ref>{{cite news|last=[[CPAC (TV channel)|CPAC]] |title=In Committee from the House of Commons - Special Committee on Electoral Reform - July 7, 2016 - Part 1 |url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/in-committee-house-of-commons/episodes/48281317}}</ref> and his predecessor [[Jean-Pierre Kingsley]] testified.<ref>{{cite news|last=[[CPAC (TV channel)|CPAC]] |title=In Committee from the House of Commons - Special Committee on Electoral Reform - July 7, 2016 - Part 2 |url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/in-committee-house-of-commons/episodes/48281332 }}</ref> Their counterparts Robert Peden, from the [[Electoral Commission (New Zealand)|New Zealand Electoral Commission]], and Tom Rogers, [[Australian Electoral Commission]], also appeared later in July.<ref>{{cite news|last=[[CPAC (TV channel)|CPAC]] |title=In Committee from the House of Commons - Special Committee on Electoral Reform - July 27, 2016 - Part 3 |url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/in-committee-house-of-commons/episodes/48460119}}</ref> Among the many academics that testified before the committee was [[Arend Lijphart]], an expert on electoral systems.<ref>{{cite news|last1=MacLeod|first1=Ian|title=Ottawa should avoid referendum on electoral reform over danger of a vote based on 'outright lies,' expert says|url=http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/ottawa+should+avoid+referendum+electoral+reform+over+danger+vote/12143880/story.html|accessdate=September 2, 2016|work=Ottawa Citizen|agency=Postmedia Network|date=August 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=[[CPAC (TV channel)|CPAC]] |title=In Committee from the House of Commons - Special Committee on Electoral Reform - August 22, 2016 - Part 1 |url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/in-committee-house-of-commons/episodes/48687363}}</ref> In September and October 2016, the committee held public meetings in cities across Canada. Computer security expert [[Barbara Simons]] presented to the committee in Vancouver.<ref>{{ cite web | title = Strengthening Democracy in Canada : Principles, Process and Public Engagement for Electoral Reform | url = http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=e&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&DocId=8655791&File=291#_ftn403 }}</ref>
==Report==
The committee
The report also included recommendations against implementing [[online voting]] and [[compulsory voting|mandatory voting]] and recommended exploring the use of other technologies in the voting process to improve accessibility, especially for persons with disabilities and segments of the population which have historically been disenfranchised.<ref name="report text" /> The report considers the option [[Instant-runoff voting]] (Alternative Vote in Single-Member Constituencies), but does not recommend it.▼
▲The committee's final report, ''Strengthening Democracy in Canada: Principles, Process and Public Engagement for Electoral Reform'', was adopted by the committee on November 28, 2016 and presented to the House of Commons on December 1, 2016. Among the twelve recommendations made by the committee was that a form of [[proportional representation]]{{efn|Which encompasses a variety of systems where divisions in the electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body}} be implemented and that a national referendum be held on the issue.<ref>{{cite news |first=Aaron |last=Wherry |date=December 1, 2016|title=Electoral reform committee recommends referendum on proportional representation, but Liberals disagree |journal=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wherry-electoral-reform-committee-1.3866879}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Joan |last=Bryden |date=December 1, 2016|title=Liberal MPs urge Prime Minister to break promise of new voting system by next election |journal=[[Ottawa Citizen]] |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/all-party-committee-recommends-proportional-voting-system-referendum}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Alex |last=Boutilier |date=December 1, 2016|title=Liberal MPs recommend breaking electoral reform promise |journal=[[Toronto Star]] |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/12/01/liberal-mps-recommend-breaking-electoral-reform-promise.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Laura |last=Payton |date=December 1, 2016 |title=Liberals dig in heels against election referendum |journal=[[CTV News]] |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/liberals-dig-in-heels-against-election-referendum-1.3185002}}</ref> The system would be designed by the government with the goal of any proposed system scoring a 5 or less on the [[Gallagher index]] but preserve local representation by avoiding [[party-list proportional representation]] systems, and the committee recommended that the design of the proposed system be finalized and shared with Canadians before any referendum campaign is conducted.<ref name="report text">{{cite report |author= Special Committee on Electoral Reform|date= December 1, 2016|title=Strengthening Democracy in Canada: Principles, Process and Public Engagement for Electoral Reform |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=8655791&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |access-date= February 18, 2017 |quote= }}</ref>
▲The report also included recommendations against implementing [[online voting]] and [[compulsory voting|mandatory voting]] and recommended exploring the use of other technologies in the voting process to improve accessibility, especially for persons with disabilities and segments of the population which have historically been disenfranchised.<ref name="report text" />
==Aftermath & outcomes==▼
On February 1, 2017, the newly appointed Minister of Democratic Institutions [[Karina Gould]] announced that the government was no longer pursuing electoral reform and it was not listed as a priority in her mandate letter from [[Justin Trudeau]].<ref name="G&M reform abandon">{{Cite news|last1=Stone|first1=Laura|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-abandons-electoral-reform/article33855925/|title=Trudeau abandons electoral reform, breaking key campaign promise|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|access-date=2017-02-06|language=en-ca|date=February 1, 2017|archive-date=2017-02-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205160959/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-abandons-electoral-reform/article33855925/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the letter, Trudeau wrote that "a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, has not emerged" and that "without a clear preference or a clear question, a referendum would not be in
Both [[Nathan Cullen]] and [[Elizabeth May]] addressed Gould's announcement during the next [[Question Period]]. Cullen said that Trudeau and the Liberals "will certainly pay a political price" in the next election for not following through on their electoral reform promise, while May stated her disappointment with Trudeau and her frustration that "our feminist prime minister threw two young women cabinet ministers [Gould and Monsef] under the bus on a key election promise."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Payton|first1=Laura|title=NDP, Greens vow broken promise of electoral reform will cost Liberals votes|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ndp-greens-vow-broken-promise-of-electoral-reform-will-cost-liberals-votes-1.3267267|
Gould tabled the government's official response to the committee report in the House of Commons on April 3, 2017.<ref name="cbc response story">{{cite news|last1=Wherry|first1=Aaron|title=Liberals say no to mandatory and online voting|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-mandatory-online-voting-1.4054412|
Press reaction reflected the view that abandoning basic system reform had broken a promise.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stone|first1=Laura|title=Trudeau abandons electoral reform, breaking key election promise|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-abandons-electoral-reform/article33855925/|work=The Global and Mail|date=1 February 2017|location=Ottawa|access-date=8 August 2021|archive-date=5 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205160959/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-abandons-electoral-reform/article33855925/|url-status=live}}</ref>
On May 31, 2017 a non-whipped vote to adopt the Dec 1, 2016 report of the Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform was held<ref name="Charl" /> but was defeated by 159 votes to 146.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vote Detail: Canada, House of Commons, Members of Parliament; Vote No. 290; 42nd Parliament, 1st Session; Sitting No. 184 - Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/votes/42/1/290 |website=Parliament of Canada |publisher=Parliament of Canada |access-date=7 October 2023}}</ref> Thus the federal reform effort was abandoned. Only two Liberal MPs voted in favour: [[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith]] of [[Beaches—East York (federal electoral district)|Beaches—East York]] in Ontario and [[Sean Casey (Canadian politician)|Sean Casey]] of [[Charlottetown (electoral district)|Charlottetown]] in [[Prince Edward Island]] (PEI) voted in favor. Casey explicitly cited [[2016 Prince Edward Island electoral reform referendum|the 2016 PEI referendum]] as a factor in his vote:
:"...more than 9,000 of the people that I represent cast their ballots in the provincial plebiscite and about two-thirds of them indicated that they wanted to move away from the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system at a provincial level. That, to me, was a very, very clear indication of the will of my constituents and that's what I was sent here to do, to project their voice. So that's what I did."<ref name="Charl">{{cite news|last1=Wright|first1=Teresa|title=Charlottetown MP votes his conscience on electoral reform|url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/charlottetown-mp-votes-his-conscience-on-electoral-reform-104417/|work=The Guardian|date=31 May 2017|location=Charlottetown, PEI|access-date=8 August 2021|archive-date=21 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121080408/https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/charlottetown-mp-votes-his-conscience-on-electoral-reform-104417/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Trudeau has continued to express reservations about [[proportional representation]] has but expressed openness to considering other systems.<ref>{{cite news|last1=von Scheel|first1=Elise|title=A year later, Trudeau will only revisit electoral reform if pushed by other parties — something MPs don't buy|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-electoral-reform-january-2018-1.4511902|access-date=2018-05-05|work=CBC News|date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=2018-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421201628/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-electoral-reform-january-2018-1.4511902|url-status=live}}</ref> Gould said, "The first-past-the-post system may not be perfect — no electoral system is, but it has served this country for 150 years and advances a number of democratic values that Canadians hold dear, such as strong local representation, stability and accountability."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wherry|first1=Aaron|title=With electoral reform off the table, minister defends first-past-the-post|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gould-first-past-the-post-1.3970658|access-date=2018-05-05|work=CBC News|date=February 7, 2017|archive-date=2018-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521011721/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gould-first-past-the-post-1.3970658|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Notes==
Line 67 ⟶ 61:
==References==
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==External links==
* {{official
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[[Category:Special committees of the House of Commons of Canada|Electoral Reform]]
[[Category:Electoral reform in Canada]]
[[Category:42nd Canadian Parliament]]
[[Category:2016 establishments in Canada]]
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