P.E.I. advocates for electoral reform turn to Trudeau government
'The more I look into it, the more concerned I've become'
Following P.E.I.'s recent plebiscite on electoral reform, some advocates for proportional representation are now turning their focus to changing the system at the federal level.
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A small group gathered at the post office in Montague, P.E.I., on Tuesday, as part of a series of rallies held across the country.
They also brought their calls to Liberal MP for Cardigan Lawrence MacAulay's office.
Eliminating the current system
Michael Pagé, one of the protesters, said he is worried about the future of federal electoral reform after the Island's recent plebiscite.
"The more I look into it, the more concerned I've become," he said.
P.E.I.'s recent plebiscite results showed a majority of voters were in favour of eliminating the first-past-the-post system in favor of mixed member proportional representation.
However, P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan called the results "debatable," and suggested a 36.5 per cent turn out was not enough to reflect the true will of Islanders.
MacLauchlan has now tabled a motion in the legislature to have a referendum on electoral reform tied to a general election.
Focus on federal system
Pagé has turned his focus federally, and would like to see the Trudeau government move forward with mixed member proportional representation.
"The best guarantee in my opinion we have for democracy to continue to function is to have a parliament in which everyone is represented," he said.
During the election campaign, the federal Liberals promised the 2015 election would "be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system," and that electoral reform legislation would be enacted within 18 months of forming government.
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