New Democrats celebrate Democracy Week, call for change

The Leader of the Official Opposition Tom Mulcair made the following statement for Democracy Week:

“On Democracy Week, Canadians from coast to coast have had an opportunity to celebrate our democracy, and to promote the civic engagement and education that keep it strong.

Canadian democracy is the product of generations of hard work, and is admired around the world for its tolerance, inclusiveness and stability.

New Democrats cherish and defend it. We also recognize that it is a work in progress, and recent history has shown that we must remain vigilant to protect it.

Under our current first-past-the-post voting system, too many Canadians feel as though their vote does not matter, and many youth are turning away from our electoral system.

Electoral reform is an important way to reinvigorate our democracy, and in 2015 New Democrats will be seeking a mandate to introduce a proportional-representation voting system that better reflects the true political preferences of Canadians. We are committed to ensuring that 2015 is the last unfair election.

This Democracy Week, we urge Canadians to get out and participate in civic events in their communities to celebrate Canadian democracy, and to engage with the debate on electoral reform so we can ensure that every vote counts.”