Meeting my MP: updates from our volunteers!

MP visits are in full swing with PR supporters across the country jumping on Zoom to chat with their MPs about the need for a national citizens’ assembly on electoral reform. To help inspire a few more visits from those in the GTA, we’ve asked a couple people who attended a meeting to share their stories.


From Wilf Day, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON

Our riding’s supporters sent 21 emails to our Conservative MP Philip Lawrence, resulting in a 30-minute Zoom call with 13 of us attending. We were quite the collection of individuals from four different municipalities and multiple parties, and included a former Mayor of Port Hope, a former School Board trustee, a retired doctor and a past Green Party candidate. This diverse range of voices along with the eight others who sent emails seemed to make the impression on Mr. Lawrence that we had hoped for.

Of note was MP Lawrence mentioning he supports a Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform, bringing up that Conservative MPs in 2005 had also supported a CA. He said he looked forward to Daniel Blaikie’s motion passing so that the Procedures and House Affairs Committee (PROC) can undertake the study on the advisability of establishing a national CA and plans to connect with some of his colleagues on the committee.

He mentioned he was looking forward to hearing the testimony of the witnesses during such a study and said he would pass on the names of any witnesses we wanted to suggest. He shared that it was an issue close to his heart and “citizens’ participation is the heart of grassroots politics.”


Shared by Réal Lavergne & Camile Paradis, NCR chapter

Last week, nine of us met with Liberal MP, Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer, QC) who was a former director of the federal Liberals and currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. We began by introducing ourselves which allowed each of us to establish rapport with Fergus based on previous contacts, illustrate our position within the community and express our support for electoral reform. One of the best lines was from Michael Nash: “FPTP defies logic!”

We then moved onto discussing the upcoming PROC motion to study a citizens’ assembly on electoral reform and our hope that he would be supportive. We made the argument that a CA was necessary due to the challenge of relying on parties and politicians to change the system that brought them to power. We expressed our view that politicians are in a flagrant conflict of interest regarding this and they should recuse themselves at least to some degree from the process.

MP Fergus said he has no problem with the idea of a CA, but took issue with the idea that politicians are in a flagrant conflict of interest when it comes to electoral reform. He stated his dislike for First Past the Post, but said he prefers the Alternative Vote over Proportional Representation. He’s not convinced PR would reduce the problem of divisiveness.

We took the opportunity to remind him that if a citizens’ assembly was created, it would be up to them to decide what to recommend. This could include keeping FPTP or moving to AV or some form of PR. We also mentioned ranked ballots can also play a role in a PR system, much like they do in Ireland.

With our time nearing an end we made plans to meet again in a couple of weeks to discuss the issue further.


Sign up to visit your MP!

Fair Vote Canada visit your MP about electoral reform proportional representation

Personal visits by constituents – even over Zoom – show our elected representatives that we are paying attention—and we want action! You also don’t need to be an expert on electoral reform or citizens’ assemblies to do so as we’ll support you along the way!

When you sign up to visit your MP:

  • We’ll send you some basic materials to present to your MP at the visit and some visit tips.
  • We’ll connect you with other people in your riding who signed up (depending on where you live, there may be a group of people, or it may just be you).
  • Once an appointment time is booked, we’ll send out an invitation to other Fair Vote Canada supporters in your riding, to get as many constituents as possible to join you.

Interested in a visit? Click here to sign up!


Send your letter of support!

Tell Trudeau and the MPs on the PROC Committee to support a National Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform - action from fair vote canada

NDP’s Daniel Blaikie will be presenting a motion to ask for a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform at the PROC (Procedures and House Affairs) committee.

To win this vote, we need six MPs to say YES to a courageous next step in strengthening Canada’s democracy. 

Over 13,000 letters have already been sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the MPs on the committee urging them to support this motion on Electoral Reform.

Click here to send your own letter!


fair vote toronto proportional representation electoral reform canada volunteer rendezvous

The unbroken 42-year reign of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party from 1943 to 1985 is still one of the longest in Canadian history. But, did you know during this time the party never once won a majority of the popular vote?

In fact, the last time any party in Ontario won over 50% was in 1937 when the governing Ontario Liberals won 51.6% of the vote. A stark reminder the last century of political decision making in the Province has mostly been made without the consent of the majority of the population.