From: Sandra Finley [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 1:37 AM To: Sandra Finley Subject: PEOPLE MOBILIZING TO EVOLVE DEMOCRACY IN CANADA
CONTENTS (1) PEOPLE MOBILIZING TO EVOLVE DEMOCRACY IN CANADA (2) THE NUMBERS: THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY (3) SMALL THING YOU CAN DO (4) CALGARY GROUP OF FVC (5) FAIR VOTE MEETINGS IN SASKATCHEWAN (6) TELL ME THIS, FVC IN SASKATCHEWAN (7) FVC NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS Fair Vote Canada website: http://www.fairvote.ca/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = (1) PEOPLE MOBILIZING TO EVOLVE DEMOCRACY IN CANADA How exciting is this? 20,000 people from across Canada got out on January 23rd to protest Stephen Harper's proroguing of Parliament! Fair Vote Canada was at many of the rallies: - helping to organize - collecting signatures on the "Declaration of Voters' Rights" - handing out information pamphlets. More and more people are aware that part of the problem with governance in Canada is the archaic "first-past-the-post" electoral system. The prorogation of Parliament helped fuel the flames to make changes. We want functioning democracy. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = (2) THE NUMBERS: THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY Look at two examples: - In Saskatchewan, the Conservatives got 93% of the Federal seats with 56% of the votes. - The Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party got approximately the same number of votes in the last election, roughly one million votes each. The Bloc has 48 seats in Parliament. The Green Party has no seats. - The Greens in Europe have long had representation in their elected assemblies, with a smaller percentage of the vote than the Greens in Canada achieve. Canadian Greens received 6.8% of the votes cast in the 2008 election (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_of_Canada ) and zero seats in Parliament. BY CONTRAST: (http://europeangreens.eu/menu/elections/election-results/ ) PERCENTAGE NUMBER OF SEATS OF VOTE GREEN IN PARLIAMENT Greece: 3.5% 1 Spain: 3.7% 1 Belgium: 4.9% 1 Canada: 6.8% 0 UK/England & Wales: 8.6% 2 Netherlands:8.9% 3 Canada remains stuck in democratic process (first-past-the-post) that other countries abandoned long ago. Could we please get our act together ?! The Fair Vote Canada website asks: "Does Canada actually have representative democracy? .." http://www.fairvote.ca/en/problem And "What about majority rule? Canadians are usually ruled by majority governments that the majority voted against. In some provincial elections, parties coming in second in the popular vote have won majority control of the legislature." = = = = = = = = = = = = = (3) SMALL THINGS YOU CAN DO Evolving the electoral system in Canada falls to grass roots volunteers - you and me. Surely we can do what citizens in other countries have done! I urge you to find the Fair Vote group in your community. http://www.fairvote.ca (click on "About Us" and then go to "Chapters"). Or, print the "Declaration of Voters' Rights" at http://www.fairvote.ca/sites/fairvote.ca/files/declaration-letter-bw.pdf?q=f iles/declaration-letter-bw.pdf and collect signatures from your family and friends, or colleagues at work. (This petition is for 8.5 X 11 inch paper. There's a 8.5 X 14 inch copy also on the website under "resources".) Mail the signatures to the address on the bottom of the form. Every signature you collect is one more person who will be committed to making the changes. Or, if you aren't able to volunteer time, consider donating money to help pay for information pamphlets. >From the FVC website: " You can get involved with Fair Vote Canada in these ways: 1.Subscribe to our newsletter 2.Become a voting member of Fair Vote Canada 3.Join our online discussion about electoral reform, proportional representation, and Fair Vote campaigns. 4.Sign up as a volunteer 5.Join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter I am a member-at-large for the Saskatchewan Chapter of FVC. I regret that I don't have more time to dedicate to it. But hey! I know that the more people that know about FVC, the faster and further we'll go! That's another contribution. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = (4) CALGARY GROUP OF FVC Gord Hunter from Regina who is also working on FVC at the national level writes: "I have been working with a new group in Calgary trying to get a Chapter of Fair Vote Canada up and running. Most of the work on the ground is being done by Kirk Werklund. He organized our first meeting there on January 18th and I went in to lend a hand. The turn out was less than we had hoped but there is a small group working to get things off the ground. They had a bit of a presence at the anti-proroguing rally in front of Stephen Harper's office and distributed FVC leaflets. There are a large group of members in Calgary but it is tough to get them out to a meeting. What we need is a group of energetic people willing to work to make this happen. I know that Kirk would appreciate any help you can give him to get the word out His contact e-mail is [email protected] Thanks Gord" = = = = = = = = = = = = = = (5) FAIR VOTE MEETINGS IN SASKATCHEWAN Regina, Saturday, February 20th Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre 2900 13th Avenue The Boardroom 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm A week later, February 27th in Saskatoon. Amigo's Cantina 632 - 10th Street East (one block east of Broadway) The back room 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Please help to spread the word. = = = = == = = = = = = = = = (6) TELL ME THIS, FVC IN SASKATCHEWAN We would like to make arrangements for a speaker. But only if we know that you are coming! Will you be coming to the meeting in Saskatoon or Regina? Please let me know. If I don't hear from you, we will fill the information and discussion needs with knowledgeable people who will be in attendance. = = = = == = = = = = = = = = (7) FVC NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS http://www.fairvote.ca/en/National_Advisory The Hon. Lincoln Alexander Rick Anderson Dr. Lloyd Axworthy Dr. Patricia Baird Maude Barlow Dr. Sylvia Bashevkin Robert Bateman Carolyn Bennett Allan Blakeney Patrick Boyer Dr. Marie Bountrogianni The Hon. Ed Broadbent Nathalie Des Rosiers Linda Silver Dranoff Max Ferguson Dr. Margaret Fulton Dr. Phyllis Grosskurth Jim Harris Mel Hurtig Tom Kent Dr. Vincent Lemieux Rafe Mair Robin Mathews Dr. Henry Milner The Hon. Lorne Nystrom Dr. Sylvia Ostry Stephen Owen Dr. Dennis Pilon Walter Pitman Judy Rebick Walter Robinson Dr. Norman Ruff Nancy Ruth Rick Salutin Hugh Segal David Suzuki John Trent Ted White The Hon. Lois Wilson This list motivates me to write some letters to other prominent Canadians to ask them to join the FVC effort. It would be good to get endorsements for the Provincial Chapters, too. Maybe you know someone who should know about FVC? We are the only ones who are going to change the electoral system! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Email from: Sandra Finley Saskatoon SK S7N 0L1 306-373-8078 [email protected] *** exposing the hidden truth for further educational research only *** CAVEAT LECTOR *** In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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