The following is the prompt which Political Science Professors across Canada signed that voices the concerns many of you, young Canadians about the electoral process. I hear you, and I think these words echo very much so what you think.
Canada is now faced with a significant democracy deficit, illustrated by unstable short-sighted minority governments, superficial partisan posturing, steadily declining voter turnout and, most disturbing, an increasing majority of younger Canadians who see little value in voting or engaging in electoral politics.
As political scientists at Canadian universities and colleges across the country, we believe Canada can no longer afford to ignore the urgent need for electoral reform. We need an inclusive and functioning representative democracy based on a fair and proportional voting system.
We call on the Prime Minister and leaders of all parliamentary parties to set aside partisan interests and together support a substantive program to engage Canadians in a national discussion on: 1) fair voting principles – voter equality, proportional results and the formation of governments whose policies reflect the majority of voters, and 2) the various types of fair voting systems based on those principles.
We call on the government to engage experts, consult widely with citizens, and implement a Canadian version of a more proportional and fair voting system within the next five years.
As with normal practices, the citation for this can be found here:
132 Political Scientists Call for Action on the Democratic Deficit | Fair Vote Canada." Fair Vote Canada | Make Every Vote Count. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
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