Island group continues to advocate for proportional representation

It's been one year since the plebiscite on electoral reform took place, and the P.E.I. Coalition for Proportional Representation has been meeting once a month since that vote to plan for their next opportunity to change the system.

In that vote, mixed-member proportional representation received the most support, but the results weren't binding.

Marie Burge, a member of the Cooper Institute and part of the coalition, says that even though the premier decided against making any changes, it was still a win in comparison to a similar vote 11 years prior to last year's.

"It was quite a victory," she said. 

"Even though it was not recognized by the government, we moved centuries ahead of what we had done in 2005."

'Very shocked'

Burge said there was a feeling of elation as the results came in, but that soon dissipated with how things unfolded.

We use the word engaged, not educated, because when you're engaged it's not just your head, and it's not just how will I vote, it's your heart and your head.- Marie Burge

"We took for granted that once the people had given a majority that that would be honoured as we expect in any election or plebiscite," she said.

"The next day was a bit of a let down, just to put it mildly."

​Burge said the coalition met soon after the vote and started planning for their next chance at change.

Planning ahead

The coalition is preparing for a 2019 referendum. Burge said she expected the government to have already produced the statement that would be voted on.

"We feel today … they must have that question. What are you going to present to the legislature, it's not going to be something that they're going to just do, just flying that into the legislature at the last minute. So we want to know, what is it?" she said.

The coalition is holding a public meeting Nov. 8 at Murphy's Community Centre to try and get Islanders engaged with the issue again. 

"We want to hear what a wider number of people are saying right now ... especially, what do you suggest as a way to move this process forward? We want to bring as many people as we can get in that room just to have that discussion about how do we actually get the community engaged," Burge said.

"We use the word engaged, not educated, because when you're engaged it's not just your head, and it's not just how will I vote, it's your heart and your head."

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