44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 1, 2022 10:00AM
- Mar/1/22 12:53:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask another question on the same topic as the one from the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.
Perhaps the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount could clarify his response.
I am very pleased to hear that he remains opposed to the first-past-the-post voting system.
I think he would prefer a preferential ballot system, but the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley asked if he supported a proportional representation voting system in the House.
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- Mar/1/22 12:53:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will try to clarify my answer.
I told the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley what my personal preferences would be. That is what he asked me and that is what I said.
However, we had a debate on what voting methods we should use. That went on for a long time after the 2015 election. As the Liberal Party very aptly put it, there was no consensus in Canada and no large majority in favour of one system over another. That is why we still have the current system.
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- Mar/1/22 1:29:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Manicouagan for her speech.
I would like to ask her if she believes that the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs should look into the issue of creating a mixed-member proportional voting system and a citizens' assembly.
Would that help the democratic reform discussion that we are having today in the House?
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- Mar/1/22 4:11:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, Quebec's place in the House is and must remain strong and stable, like its place in our Confederation.
I also have to say that electoral reform would most certainly have an impact on the representation of the parties and the regional distribution across Canada. However, it will not change anything about the basic issue of Quebec's representation. Even with a new voting system, we would still have to decide how the seats would be distributed among the provinces.
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- Mar/1/22 4:12:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in light of my colleague from Edmonton Griesbach's question, I think we need to look at the reason why we have division in our country.
We, in the Green Party, think that the biggest problem is our voting system, which promotes a more toxic system and a non-collaborative approach and atmosphere among the parties. A proportional voting system would be more collaborative and—
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- Mar/1/22 4:26:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for asking her question in such good French. We appreciate it. It was great.
It is high time that the voting system were reviewed, in all parliaments for that matter, in order to better consider proportional representation. However, in any reform of the voting system, regional differences must also be taken into account.
In a previous question, I mentioned the specificity of the three Canadian territories. They each have their own member, because these regions must be properly represented. However, the population, in mathematical terms, does not justify the member. We do not dispute that. We think it is fine.
We want to apply a similar principle to Quebec, because we are francophones, we do not have the same culture, and we often do not have the same values. Sometimes we have the same values, and that is good. However, there are times when we do not share the same interests. That is all.
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