Last Thursday, October 5, jointly with Québec solidaire, the Parti Québécois, the Green Party, Climat Québec and nearly thirty other civil society organizations, we tabled in the National Assembly a bill for electoral reform — the bill 499 — and we have, at the same time, launched an official petition from the National Assembly to allow Quebecers to express their desire to collectively provide us with a healthier, fairer, more modern.
Political parties, union, student, community and citizen movements have not only spoken with one voice to demand electoral reform from the government in time for the next elections, but this demand is based on the basis of a new bill that the government can study now to allow its adoption fairly quickly. Such action coming from civil society, under the leadership of the New Democracy Movement, is unprecedented in the history of electoral reform!
What’s more, the bill is almost entirely inspired by the one that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government tabled (then abandoned) during its previous mandate. Basically, the current government therefore agrees with the reform proposed today. What the Prime Minister candidly argued last year was that a reform of the voting system “is of no interest to anyone, except a handful of intellectuals…”
This is the only argument that the Prime Minister cited to justify the abandonment of electoral reform, a decision which, obviously, was taken in favor of the ability to dominate the parliamentary chessboard for a very long time. And, while ignoring the fact that it was he, in 2015, who brought the issue of reform back to the political scene by pleading that it was both urgent and fundamental. He then took over from René Lévesque, promising that he would go all the way, in particular to avoid encouraging citizens’ cynicism towards the political class.
The Prime Minister has often admitted his errors and claimed, hand on heart, to be “listening to the population”. Hence the choice to launch a petition for electoral reform…
I invite Quebecers to put their weight in the balance. Go to the National Assembly website orcestjustepasjuste.com to sign the petition in large numbers. Your democracy belongs to you, claim it with us!
The establishment of an electoral system worthy of the democratic values that should prevail in this 21ste century must become a major citizen demand for all those who believe in justice and balanced governance of our society. The petition launched Thursday on the website of the National Assembly is an opportunity to tell the Prime Minister that the quality of our democratic life interests many, many people.
Before the end of the year, we will find ourselves with a bill officially submitted to the National Assembly, ready to be studied and then adopted; a bill that already receives the support of all civil society, from all walks of life, as evidenced by the show of force that was made Thursday in parliament in Quebec.
Add to that a major petition, and the Prime Minister will no longer be able to hide. He will have to recognize the will of the Quebec people and pass the bill for electoral reform, as he has sworn to do for years.
Democracy is not just about voting once every four years. Democracy belongs to us. It is in our hands, but it requires us to work to preserve and improve it. An opportunity is now available: send a message to the Prime Minister by signing the petition!