Opinion
Time to put some heat on Trudeau to advance electoral reform
By Megan Mattes December 2, 2020
Political pressure is the most effective tool we have—and this is especially true within a minority government situation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured holding a press conference outside the Rideau Cottage on Nov. 24, 2020, in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Four years ago this week, the Special Committee on Electoral Reform published its final report. Following months of citizen and expert input, the committee’s report recommended the implementation of a proportional voting system for federal elections. But this key 2015 campaign trail promise was not to be kept; Justin Trudeau ignored the report, and months later through a cabinet shuffle, removed electoral reform from the mandate of the new minister for democratic institutions. Ignoring the committee’s citizen- and expert-informed recommendation, he stated that “a clear preference for a new electoral system, let alone a consensus, [had] not emerged.” Alas, 2015 was not to be the last election conducted under first past the post.
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