Electoral Reform | | | |
- Does not presently support a change in Canada’s electoral system away from first-past-the-post as Canadians have repeatedly rejected such measures in the past (1, 2)
- Would require a national referendum before first-past-the-post electoral system can be changed (1, 2)
- Passed the Fair Elections Act, which changes vouching for an oath system, prevents Elections Canada from encouraging voting, provides voting data to parties, and raises donation limits, among other measures. The party maintains that the Act combats voter fraud, includes needed updates to campaign finance laws, preserves the investigative power of the Commissioner, and empowers political parties, as opposed to Elections Canada, to drive voter turnout. More info (7)
- Introduced the Citizen Voting Act, which requires proof of citizenship from those living abroad in order for them to vote (has not been passed into law) (8)
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- Will form an all-party parliamentary committee to study the following measures: ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting for possible implementation (4)
- Will introduce legislation within 18 months of the election to reform the electoral system (4)
- Will repeal elements of the Fair Elections Act and oppose the Citizen Voting Act, which the party believes make it more difficult for Canadians to vote and easier for election lawbreakers to evade punishment (4)
- Will restore the voter identification card as an acceptable form of identification (4)
- Will increase penalties for breaking election laws (4)
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- Will eliminate first-past-the-post system and consult the public on the style of proportional representation best suited to Canada (1, 5, 11)
- Will lower the voting age to 16 to encourage higher youth participation (11)
- Will reduce the $1,000 candidate deposit to encourage more Canadians to participate in the democratic system (5)
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Procedural and Democratic Reform | | | |
- Believes in restoring democratic accountability into the House of
Commons by allowing free votes except for the budget, main estimates, and core government initiatives (2)
- Believes that senior officers such as the Auditor General, Chief Electoral Officer, Comptroller General, Ethics Commissioner, Information Commissioner, and Privacy Commissioner should be appointed by Parliament and report to it (2)
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- Will change the appointment process for federal agencies by having candidate nominations sent to Parliament (3)
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- Will empower backbench MPs by allowing free votes on everything except legislation implementing election platform promises, budget measures, and matters involving freedoms guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (6)
- Will support an Elections Canada initiative to register Canadians as a part of their high school curriculum and stay in contact with them if they change addresses after graduation (4)
- Will allow more time for questions and answers during question period, and introduce a prime minister’s question period (4)
- Will appoint an equal number of men and women to cabinet and adopt a government-wide appointment policy to ensure gender parity as well as greater representation of aboriginal people and other minorities (6)
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- Will create an administrative body called the Council of Canadian Governments, to be chaired by the Prime Minister and include Premiers, territorial, municipal and Indigenous leaders (10)
- The Council will supplement First Ministers’ Conferences and initiate, develop, and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of "national significance" and that require action by all Canadian governments (10)
- Will end whipped votes in the House of Commons, the process by which party leaders can dictate how their MPs will vote as they believe that MPs should be free to best represent their constituent's interests (1, 5)
- Will start a commission to engage Canadians in a public inquiry into the interwoven and anti-democratic trends within Canada. Full details here (5)
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Financing, Oversight, and Governance | | | |
- Canceled annual payment to federal political parties of around $2 per vote received in the previous federal election (2)
- Believes there should be no additional public funding of federal political parties beyond that presently contained in the Elections Canada Act (2)
- Believes the government should provide the Auditor General with full access to all documents from all federal organizations, including all agencies, Crown corporations, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and foundations (2)
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- Will review electoral spending limits and ensure that political party spending between elections is subject to limits (4)
- Will introduce a plan to ensure that government information is made readily accessible to the public. Full details here
- Will provide Elections Canada with additional resources to investigate voter fraud and suppression, illegal financing, and other matters (4)
- Will appoint an Advertising Commissioner to assist the Auditor General in providing oversight on government advertising to ensure they are non-partisan and related to actual government requirements (4)
- Will create a quarterly, more detailed parliamentary expense report, and open up the "secretive" House of Commons Board of Internal Economy (4)
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- Will discourage patronage appointments by establishing an independent agency for appointments to government tribunals, boards and senior positions (5)
- Will slash the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) budget by 50% (5)
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