(Download) "Round Table on Proportional Representation." by Canadian Parliamentary Review # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Round Table on Proportional Representation.
- Author : Canadian Parliamentary Review
- Release Date : January 22, 1997
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 244 KB
Description
Traditionally, political representation has been based on territory. A member of Parliament is elected from a specific constituency and once elected he or she represents all of the interests of all of the constituents. In recent years various groups have been arguing for an understanding of representation not based solely on territory but which takes into account other factors including sex and ethnicity. Parliament, it is argued, does not reflect well enough the composition of the whole of society. This issue was discussed at the 35th Conference of the Canadian Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association held in Winnipeg. The lead speakers were John MacKay, MLA of New Brunswick and Dennis Richards, MLA of Nova Scotia. The following extracts are based upon the proceedings prepared by Manitoba Hansard. The complete transcript is available from the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. John McKay, MLA (New Brunswick): The electoral system as it now exists in Canada returns one member of Parliament for each constituency. Parties nominate one candidate; the voter indicates his preference by marking opposite one name on the ballot and the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees every Canadian citizen a right to vote and to be considered equal under the law. But does the Charter require each person's vote to be of equal weight? This issue was at the heart of discussions around the ideal average population for ridings and the amount of deviation allowed from the average during the representation and electoral boundaries commission in recent hearings in New Brunswick.