NDP secures collaborative process on electoral reform

OTTAWA — New Democrats have secured a significant victory for Canadians in the process of electoral reform. The Liberal government has voted in favor of the NDP's plan to make reforming our electoral system a fair, inclusive process based on cross-party collaboration. The NDP motion establishes a committee to study future voting systems that represents all parties in Parliament and does not give an advantage to any single party.

"We are still a very long way from having a fair system where every vote counts, and all votes are equal," said NDP Critic Democratic Reform, Nathan Cullen. "But today we have taken an important first step and we must continually work to earn the trust of Canadians as we move ahead."

For five months, the NDP has been pushing proposals and pressuring the Liberal government to make fairness and cross-party cooperation the founding principles of this committee. The vast majority of Canadians have expressed that they want to move beyond the current winner-take-all, First Past the Post system.

"With this agreement, we are happy to have brought parties together and secured substantial concessions from the government," said NDP deputy critic for Democratic Reform, Alexandre Boulerice. "Thanks to our motion, we can finally start work on electoral reform in a collaborative manner."

The NDP motion calls for the committee to be struck in the next 10 days.