A National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform:
Backed by evidence, powered by people
The quality of our democracy is facing unprecedented threats. Low voter turnout, mistrust in institutions, polarization, and hostile partisan politics are of deep concern to many.
Making progress on electoral reform requires political leadership, but politicians alone won’t fix the system that elected them.
What is a Citizens’ Assembly?
A Citizen’s Assembly is a “mini-public” convened to study and give recommendations on a specific issue.
Citizens’ assemblies have a strong track record around the world and are recommended by the OECD as a path to meaningful citizen engagement and evidence-based decision-making. They have been used with great success in Ireland, France, Scotland, Belgium and across the OECD to tackle complex and challenging issues. Citizens’ assemblies are growing in popularity in Canada, most notably the recent Citizens’ Assembly on Democratic Expression, funded by the Government of Canada.
A National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform:
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- Is a non-partisan, independent, trusted process
- Is composed of citizens selected at random, like a jury
- Includes Canadians from all walks of life, with special care to ensure that participants reflect Canadian society, including by age, gender, ethnicity and region of Canada
- Engages citizens to learn from experts, thoughtfully consider an issue, and make a recommendation
Without pre-judging various kinds of electoral systems, a citizens’ assembly will review options to improve our current electoral system. They would be free to recommend keeping the status quo (first-past-the-post), ranked ballots, or a proportional system (including proportional ranked ballots, or any other made-for-Canada PR).
Who supports a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform?
In February 2023, Green Party MP Mike Morrice put forward a private members’ motion for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. Private members’ motions can have a maximum of 20 joint seconders, and all the spots filled up fast! Directly below, you can see MPs from three different parties who seconded the motion.
In addition to the MPs who have seconded Mike’s motion, click here to see a growing number of other MPs (past and present) and notable partisans who support this idea. Would your MP like to add their name to this webpage in support? To be added, an MP simply needs to fill out this form.
On May 6, 2023, the Liberal Party of Canada officially adopted a policy to support a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.
Later in 2023, NDP MP Daniel Blaikie will be re-introducing a motion to the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) to take the first step: a study of how a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform would work. In 2021, this passed at the PROC Committee by a vote of 7-4. Unfortunately, an early election was called so the work did not go forward at that time.
Notable non-partisan Canadians also back a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform – click to see who’s in support.
John Aldag, Liberal MP
Jenica Atwin, Liberal MP
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal MP
Daniel Blaikie, NDP MP and Democratic Reform Critic
Yasir Naqvi, Liberal MP
Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal MP
Taylor Bachrach, NDP MP
Ben Lobb, Conservative MP
Tony Van Bynen, Liberal MP
Brendan Hanley, Liberal MP
Gord Johns, NDP MP
Elizabeth May, Green MP and Leader
Richard Cannings, NDP MP
Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal MP
Sean Casey, Liberal MP
Rachel Blaney, NDP MP
Patrick Weiler, Liberal MP
Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal MP
Wayne Long, Liberal MP
Michael Coteau, Liberal MP
Other MPs (past and present) in support of a
National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
These past and present MPs below also support a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform!
They were not able to jointly second Mike Morrice’s private member’s motion (above) because motions can only have 20 joint seconders (there were no more spots left), Parliamentary rules prohibited them from seconding a private member’s motion due to their position (a Parliamentary Secretary, for example), or they are not a current MP.
We invite all MPs to support a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform! If your MP would like to be added below, they can simply fill in this form.
Jenna Sudds, Liberal MP
Francis Drouin, Liberal MP
Terry Beech, Liberal MP
Vance Badawey, Liberal MP
Lloyd Axworthy
Mike Kelloway, Liberal MP
Wayne Easter, MP 1993-2021
Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal MP
Ryan Turnbull, Liberal MP
Rechie Valdez, Liberal MP
Mark Gerretsen, Liberal MP
Marc Serré, Liberal MP
Don Davies, NDP MP
Ken Hardie, Liberal MP
Alexandra Mendès, Liberal MP
Lisa Marie Barron, NDP MP
Notable NON-PARTISAN endorsers
of a National Citizens’Assembly on Electoral Reform
Dave Meslin, electoral reform and ranked ballot activist, author of “Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up”
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer from 1990 to 2007.
Alex Himelfarb, Former Clerk of the Privy Council, Director Emeritus of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs
Melissa S. Williams, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto. Founding Director of University of Toronto’s Centre for Ethics.
Alex Neve, OC: Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, former Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
Sheryl Lightfoot, Vice Chair and North American Member on the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), Canada Research Chair of Global Indigenous Rights and Politics
Peter Russell, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, author, constitutional expert
Maxwell Cameron, Director of the Centre for Study of Democratic Institutions, UBC.
Monique Deveaux, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Ethics & Global Social Change, University of Guelph
Steve Morgan, Director of the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR). Research Lead for the National Citizens’ Reference Panel on Pharmacare
Shoni Field, Member of BC Citizens’ Assembly, Member of the Vancouver Independent Election Task Force.
Linda Silver Dranoff, Order of Canada, founding chair of the Feminist Legal Analysis Section of the Ontario Bar Association, writer, activist.
George Thomson, Chair of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly
EKOS Poll: A strong majority of Canadians back a National Citizen’s
Assembly on Electoral Reform
In December, 2022, EKOS found that 76% of Canadians,supported a Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform. See the full poll results here.
Support for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform by party voters:
Motion M-76, Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform
That:
(a) the House recognize that,
(i) representative democracy is a fundamental part of Canadian society,
(ii) in Canada’s current electoral system, the majority of voters cast ballots for a candidate who does not get elected, and many voters feel that election results do not accurately reflect their views,
(iii) many Canadians are concerned with the health of Canada’s democracy, including voter distrust and disengagement, low voter turnout, and the polarization of politics,
(iv) all politicians, and all parties, are widely perceived by the public to have a vested interest in the design of the electoral system,
(v) citizens’ assemblies have considerable legitimacy and public trust because they are independent, non-partisan, representative bodies of citizens,
(vi) citizens’ assemblies have been used successfully in Canada, Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and the U.K. to tackle difficult issues through nuanced public deliberation,
(vii) a citizens’ assembly on electoral reform would give citizens a leadership role in building consensus on a specific model for electoral reform for Canada; and
(b) in the opinion of the House, the government should create a Canadian citizens’ assembly on electoral reform, which would,
(i) consist of citizens selected by sortition, an impartial selection process to ensure the Assembly’s independence and non-partisanship,
(ii) reflect the diversity of the Canadian population, including a representation of age groups, genders, ethnicities, languages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic regions, along with meaningful participation from First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples,
(iii) determine if electoral reform is recommended for Canada, and if so, recommend specific measures that would foster a healthier democracy.
