Elections

Keeping the Momentum Going

As highlighted in the infographics produced by Elections Canada,  pictured below, voter turnout showed an increase over all age groups in the 2015 Federal Election over the previous numbers in 2011. This increased voter turnout  was most notable among youth 18-24. However, the percentage of eligible youth voters who cast a ballot was still the lowest percentage of any group going to the polls among all age groups.   

As the infographic to the right shows, eligible youth voters cast ballots in greater numbers for the 2015 Federal Election across all regions of the country.

Will that pattern be repeated in 2019?

Statistics indicate that the largest segment in the pool of eligible voters for the 2019 federal election are between the ages of 18 and 38. "We're looking at Canadians between the ages of 18 and 38 who will represent upwards of 37 per cent of the electorate," Abacus Data CEO David Coletto told   Cross Country Checkup   host Duncan McCue.

This election, to build upon the momentum of increased voter participation in this millenial demographic, I offer several suggestions:

  • Candidates need to make specific efforts to engage youth.

  • Campaign speeches and party platforms must address issues that concern youth.

  • Youth need to encourage their circle of friends to exercise their democratic right to vote.

  • Youth can use social media to challenge peers to be the group with the highest voter turnout.

  • All of us can encourage youth participation and ensure that they register to vote.

  • Lead by example by making plans to vote.

In the remaining days leading up to October 21st,  let’s invite and encourage young adults to actively participate in the 2019 federal election. Their voice indicates the kind of country they want Canada to be. 

 - Sister Nancy Wales

Cast Your Vote for Democracy

Amid the twists and turns of our current province’s general election campaign a band of voters remain undecided, switching back and forth in their thinking. These voters find themselves wondering whether to cast their vote with an eye on their riding candidates or in line with party leaders and/or platforms.

No doubt, unfortunately, as in the last two Ontario provincial general elections many voters will not vote at all. Sadly, many Ontarians take too lightly our right to vote failing to appreciate that many around the world enjoy no such freedom.

“In the last two elections, barely half of Ontarians bothered to cast a ballot — an embarrassing 48 per cent voted in 2011, and a dispiriting 51 per cent turned out in 2014.

They were the worst showings by civic no-shows in our democratic history. And far worse turnouts than in any  other provincial or federal election ever.

“A new public opinion survey conducted for the Toronto Star ahead of the Ryerson Democracy Forum suggests that the very authority of our elected governments is being undermined by those meagre voter turnouts.” The Star, Feb.26/18 by Martin Regg Cohn

Hopefully, the increase in advance polling numbers, up about 20% more than 2014, as cited by Global News anchor Shauna Cunningham, may be a positive indication that civic engagement might be on the increase rather than merely the case that voters are casting their vote early to avoid election day line ups.

If you haven’t voted yet, please make a commitment to do so.     Every vote cast is one very important vote for democracy.

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Recovering Democracy : Our Task as Citizens

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There is a disconnect between government, citizens, and their elected representatives. Low voting rates, social media, Idle-No-More, Occupy Wall Street, and anti-pipeline protesters on BC’s Burnaby Mountain indicate that many of us believe that our Government is unresponsive to its citizens and to the welfare of society. 

Parliamentary democracy was established on the principle that members of parliament represent their electors and are responsible for calling government, i.e., the prime minister or provincial premier and his or her cabinet, to account. Thus they are to act independently in choosing a leader. Changes in the past century have resulted in leaders being elected by their political parties and being thus perceived as responsible to the party, not to members of their caucus. Increasingly power has been centered in the leader on whom members rely for nomination, promotion, recognition, or continued membership in the caucus. Brent Rathgeber was compelled to resign from the Conservative Party for refusing to amend his private member’s bill on public salary disclosures. Bill Casey was expelled from this same caucus in 2007 when he opposed a bill which violated the Atlantic Accord regarding the rights of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to oil and gas revenues. Mr. Casey has criticized the Conservatives for actions such as instructing members how they are to vote in committees or having staff bureaucrats script “responses” in Question Period which are not answers but simply attacks on the opposition.  Mr. Casey is now the new Liberal nominee in a Nova Scotia riding for the coming federal election.

Back benchers speak from “talking points” rather than conviction; aware of their lack of power, they avoid honest debate or even attendance in Parliament. Many politicians leave Ottawa on Thursday or early Friday to spend time with constituents, tending to requests, concerns and complaints because the power of constituents to re-elect them outweighs fruitless efforts to make a difference in governing our nation. Powerful corporations and lobby groups rather than ordinary MPs influence policy and governance. Is it any wonder that cynicism has replaced respect for politicians and that our most qualified citizens are reluctant to enter politics.

And yet, recent events portend hope of a return to a situation in which leaders are accountable to elected representatives rather than MPs or MPPs being accountable to the leader. MP Michael Chong has received support from all political parties with his private member’s bill which posits new rules for riding nominations and provision for MP’s to remove a leader by secret ballot. In Manitoba where Premier Greg Selinger’s conflict with his cabinet led to resignation of several ministers, Mr. Selinger has been forced to back down with a promise to hold a leadership convention in March, 2015. All of us need to support a return to democracy by using our voices and pens to hold our elected representatives accountable for their actions on our behalf. If we want our most ethical and capable citizens to govern Canada we have to demand changes that will restore the rightful place of those whom we choose to represent us.

Pat McKeon CSJ

Electing the Electors

In a democracy citizens have an equal voice in electing those who make the rules. Canada has a well-earned reputation for fairness in running elections and for the wisdom of our current legislation in ensuring that fairness. So, why has Democratic Reform Minister, Pierre Poilievre introduced questionable changes in a bill entitled “The Fair Elections Act”?  Some of the proposed changes appear to threaten rather than enhance the fairness of our elections. And why is the Conservative majority ramming this bill through parliament by reducing the time to examine and discuss the huge 252 page document in committee to less than a week. Some have observed that Mr. Harper’s dislike of Elections Canada, the attempts by Conservatives to sway voters through illegal or questionable practices such as deceitful robo calls or transfer of donations from ridings to the central office, and the tendency of younger, elderly, or aboriginal voters to not support the Conservatives has something to do with the content of the misnamed “Fair Elections Act.”

As individual citizens we have a role to play in evaluating the proposed bill and using our voices to influence the decisions of the MP’s representing our riding and Parliament as a whole. We need to sort through the language Mr. Poilievre uses to understand what is really affected by the bill.

Mr. Poilevre states that prohibiting the use of vouching to the identity of another and discontinuing the use of voter identification cards will crack down on voter fraud. This change particularly affects aboriginal people living on reserves, university students, and elders living in senior’s residence who lack the kind of documentation required by the changes. Although 120,000 persons were vouched for in the 2011 election, there is no evidence to support Mr. Poilievre’s assertion of widespread voter fraud in this practice. However, we do know that the population who used vouching are less likely to vote for the Conservative party.

The proposed “Fair Elections Act” purports to strengthen enforcement of electoral law by separating the enforcement role from Elections Canada. Currently the chief electoral officer appoints and manages the commissioner of Canada Elections, a person who acts independently and reports to Parliament. This person is charged with enforcing the rules – and he has, much to the embarrassment of the Government. The new Act would have the commissioner appointed by the director of public prosecutions, who answers to the member of cabinet who is the attorney general. The new rules also prevent the commissioner of Canada elections from revealing that an investigation is being conducted – so we will not know if election fraud has been reported and is being investigated or not.

The proposed “Fair Elections Act”  prohibits the chief electoral Officer from engaging in public education or democratic outreach to groups that are less likely to vote, i.e.,, the groups less likely to vote for the Conservatives. Mr. Poilievre uses false cause and effect logic in stating that public education programs have been ineffective and therefore advertising should be done by the Government. 

There are other changes in the proposed new Act which are also of concern. Perhaps we all need to become more informed and act as good citizens in questioning or challenging this legislation.

Pat McKeon, CSJ