NDP Statement on Electoral Reform in British Columbia

Nathan Cullen, NDP Electoral Reform Critic, made the following statement:

"The NDP government in British Columbia said they would hold a referendum on electoral reform because they wanted to make sure it was people who were going to make this decision. They lived up to their promise.

Almost two years have passed since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke his promise to make the 2015 federal election the last election held under first-past-the-post. Canadians in British Columbia were given the choice that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not give them.

During the last election, which was supposed to be the last held under first past the post, two-thirds of Canadians voted for a party that was promising electoral reform. This was a clear promise in the Liberal platform, and Justin Trudeau repeated it hundreds of times. The choice to abandon electoral reform was one of the most cynical decisions made by this Prime Minister. But today the people in British Columbia were given that choice, and we respect the result.

But it doesn't end here, in Québec, all the opposition parties endorsed proportional representation in the lead up to their last provincial election and the government has promised to table a bill to this effect within the first year of its mandate. And in PEI, a referendum on the voting system is expected during their next provincial election. With the work of these provinces, we can hope that the rest will be inspired, and the next time Canadians vote federally for electoral reform, it becomes a reality."