In presenting his bill on the abolition of the compulsory oath to the English monarch for members of the National Assembly of Quebec, the Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions, Jean-François Roberge, presented this reform as “a gesture of affirmation nationalism and modernity for Quebec democrats”.
Very well. We take note of the Minister’s remarks, who nevertheless said he was “well aware that it is above all a question of a symbol”. An important symbol nevertheless since it lasted for more than 260 years and forced hundreds of elected officials to go against their convictions and their democratic duty towards the sovereign people!
Faced with this rapid awareness of the Legault government, supported by majority support of the population for the change demanded, how can we not now encourage the members of the National Assembly, in particular the troops of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Official Opposition , to prove even more concretely their attachment to modernity, democracy and the nation by resuming the reform initiated in the previous legislature to abolish the old British voting system in force in our country since 1792.
In this file too, it must be underlined in broad strokes, the majority of the population agrees with the change demanded, especially since the awareness caused by the greatest electoral distortions in our history which occurred on October 3 last. We must remember that at the end of the 1960s, the great René Lévesque accused the system inherited from English colonialism of being “democratically foul”.
After him, three other prime ministers, Bernard Landry, Jean Charest and François Legault, had promised, hand on heart, that the upcoming election would be the last with this outdated voting system designed for a two-party parliamentary chessboard. policies. We unfortunately know the inglorious sequel. Incidentally, of all these leaders of the nation, we must know and remember that François Legault was the one who promised the most and most often publicly denounced the status quo, more than once endorsing the damning words of Rene Levesque.
During the last election campaign, the Prime Minister, who at the end of 2021 had reneged on his commitment and his signature on a historic cross-party agreement at the National Assembly in May 2018, promised not to bring this reform back to Parliament. !
But this promise is unworthy of a political leader who claims to be a democrat, obsessed with modernity and national affirmation, and eager to be in tune with the majority of his people. Also, as he chose to abolish the oath of allegiance to the British crown when he had promised nothing on this subject during the last election campaign, we are asking him to honor the word given in 2018 and all the comments he has made since 2015 against the electoral system in place.
A voting method is much more than a symbol! This is the first and fundamental way that allows citizens to be fairly represented according to their different ideological preferences. This is the way to ensure that a true representative democracy exists in our country and that the National Assembly organizes the common good by taking into account the interests as well as the needs of everyone.
In October 2020, a majority of MPs voted in favor of the promised change. They were then to study together the improvements prepared by the three parties which voted in favor of the principle of the reform. Then, there would have been a last parliamentary vote which would have been followed by a referendum vote of the people to ratify the new system put in place.
It is these final and crucial steps that have been torpedoed under false pretences and lies.
But, for the sake of democracy, modernity and national affirmation, the Prime Minister must reconsider his denial. It must do what is necessary to ensure that this other pernicious colonial vestige disappears once and for all and that Quebec finally joins the club of modern nations which, with proportional voting systems, constantly demonstrate that it is possible to combine true representative democracy with effective governance, high political stability and a high standard of living.