Fair Vote Canada Newsletter – June 2012

The Fair Vote Canada Newsletter for June 2012 is available online here.

In this issue:

• ‘Blackmark’ Budget latest result of winner-take-all system
• Results announced for FVC National Council elections
• Fair Vote Canada AGM lives up to its hype!
• 2012 Campaign Directions Survey Results
• Voting Systems Lesson Plan

‘Blackmark’ Budget latest result of winner-take-all system

Fair Vote says omnibus budget a direct result of skewed voting system’s ‘war on accountability’

On June 4, Fair Vote Canada blacked out our website in support of the Black Out Speak Out campaign. Fair Vote Canada has joined the BlackOut SpeakOut campaign to draw attention to the fact that our current winner-take-all electoral system makes it heartbreakingly easy for governments to ignore the will of the majority and basic democratic processes.

This is not a partisan issue. We’ve seen successive governments run up the democratic deficit as they learn that it is virtually impossible for the majority of Canadians to hold them to account under our current electoral system. While a majority of Canadians agree that we need to adopt a more proportional system, many don’t understand the impact the system has between elections. We hope by speaking out on this, and similar issues, we can help Canadians understand just how damaging our winner-take-all system is to the health of our democracy.

The full text of our media release is available here: http://www.fairvote.ca/en/Blackmark-Budget-latest-result-of-winner-take-...

Please share this email, or our Facebook note widely with your friends.

On a related note, I’d like to point out that our recent survey of supporters indicated that many of you want us to work strategically with allies and potential allies to help further electoral reform. Thank you for your feedback, it helped us reach out and work together with new groups to spread the message for voting system reform. Winner-take-all systems create an environment that makes it too easy for the government, regardless of who they are, to abuse the democratic process. We hope that we’re getting closer to the day where we won’t have to critique our governments for this but instead will be working to help implement proportional representation.

Best regards,

Shoni Field, President
Fair Vote Canada

Results announced for FVC National Council elections

Every year, FVC elects five members to a three-year term on our national board of directors, the National Council. There are fifteen directors in all. The election is conducted by mail and online using the Single Transferable Vote, a proportional voting system.

This year, eleven candidates put their name forward for election to the five positions. Voting ended on April 26. The results were announced at the Annual General Meeting on May 26.

June Macdonald was re-elected to the National Council. Joining her will be new Councilors Ryan Campbell, Cecil Makowski, Michael Polanyi, and Rick Sawa.

Thank you to all the candidates who put their names forward, and congratulations to our newly elected Councilors!

Thank-you to the retiring councillors, Wendy Bergerud, Bruce Hallsor, Sean Geobey, and Bronwen Bruch, who have all made an extraordinary contribution to FVC.

At the National Council’s annual face-to-face meeting after the AGM, Council elected a new Executive Committee. Continuing in office are President Shoni Field, Vice-President Andy Blair, and Secretary Wilf Day. Joining them on the Exec are Chair Dianne Searle, Treasurer Rick Sawa, and Chapter and Action Team Coordinator Anita Nickerson.

Fair Vote Canada AGM lives up to its hype!

The Fair Vote Canada 2012 Annual General Meeting was held at Ryerson University in Toronto on Saturday, May 26. There was an opening event on Friday evening, May 25. As billed, it was the largest and best AGM ever for Fair Vote Canada!

If you missed it, it’s not too late! CPAC recorded our two main panel discussions, and, in cooperation with Leadnow.ca, we live-streamed the entire conference, which means it is all recorded and available for you to view: http://www.fairvote.ca/en/video-highlights-of-fvc-agm-2012

Thank you to all our speakers, facilitators, volunteers, musicians, and the organizing committee for making it all happen!

2012 Campaign Directions Survey Results

We had an amazing response to our survey. 1160 of you took the time to tell us who you are, what you want to see us do together, and how you want to be part of creating a Fair Vote Canada that is both bigger and stronger. Stronger in lobbying the political parties, highly visible and organized, partnering with others, with clear and convincing messages being delivered on the ground in our communities, in our media, and in our classrooms. We are responding to the survey results, and your feedback on strategic direction coming out of our annual convention, by shifting the direction of Fair Vote Canada to focus on action - giving you the resources and opportunities to become active and visible coast to coast - and strategic partnerships (mobilizing our allies). To see the survey results by section:

Who We Are

Who Fair Vote Canada Should Target with Its Message

Fair Vote Canada's Most Important Activities, and What Supporters Want to Create and Do

How Fair Vote Canada Can Communicate with and Involve Its Supporters

Voting Systems Lesson Plan

Do you know a secondary school teacher? Our Voting Systems Lesson Plan team has created a lesson comparing First Past the Post to Proportional Representation for use by teachers and Fair Vote Canada volunteers in civics classes (or other classes). We have applied to present at the Ontario History and Social Sciences Teacher's Association Conference and the Manitoba Social Science Teacher's Association Conference, but the best way to get this into the hands of teachers is by word of mouth and personal contacts - that's you! If you know a civics teacher or another teacher that might be able to help us connect with a civics teacher, email Anita at anita.nickerson@fairvote.ca . If you would like to present the lesson to students as a guest speaker in a classroom, please help us by signing up through our Action Network http://www.fairvote.ca/action. Lesson Plan and training will be provided.

Canada Day Action: Collect Signatures for the Petition to be presented in the House of Commons

Imagine 308 identical petitions calling for proportional representation, collected in 308 ridings across Canada, delivered personally to 308 MPs on the same day, asking them to present the petitions in the House of Commons...

Can you collect at least 25* signatures? If so, we can make it happen, together. Our first step takes place July 1: Canada Day.

What do you need to do?

1) Send your name, email and riding (check http://elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=e if you're not sure) to us at action@fairvote.ca

2) Print out a copy of our petition.

3) Between July 1 and July 5, ask your friends, neighbours, everyone, to sign it.

4) If you can, take photos of people holding or signing the petition, and send them to action@fairvote.ca (we will be posting them on our Action web page)

5) Mail the signed petitions to: 3 Macdonell Avenue #302, Toronto, ON M6R 2A3

*25 is the minimum number for a petition to be presented in the House of Commons. We want to collect as many signatures as possible from each riding, and will be keeping track of the number of signatures collected and all the ridings participating on our website.