Minister scolded in Iqaluit
Last-minute town hall without Inuktitut translation angers capital's mayor
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, September 5, 2016
IQALUIT
How to improve the electoral process in Canada was the overarching question Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef asked a very small crowd gathered in Iqaluit the morning of Aug. 29.
Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef takes notes at a morning town hall meeting about federal electoral reform in Iqaluit. - Michele LeTourneau/NNSL photo |
The Liberal government has vowed to change the first-past-the-post system, where the winning candidate must only get the most votes and not a majority, and Monsef's department is the lead on that task.
The minister kicked off her Canadian tour in the territorial capital with very little notice and, as Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern pointed out, without Inuktitut materials or translation available. Redfern mentioned hearing about the meeting 30 minutes before its start. She wasn't happy.
"These events need to happen in the evening when people are not at work," Redfern added.
Monsef took note and promised to do better, and bring that message back to her colleagues and the special committee on electoral reform.
Although the dozen or so people in attendance were hardly representative of Nunavut's population, as was repeatedly stated by those present, several key points were raised.
With its youthful population - the GN's website says the median age of a resident of the territory on July 1, 2012 was 24.7 years old, compared to that of the Canadian median of 40 years old - getting youth out to vote matters. Repeatedly, participants spoke of engaging students in school and familiarizing them with the voting process.
Online voting may work in other parts of the country, but Nunavut would still require a mixed system, including in-person voting, because of the territory's abysmal broadband infrastructure.
Replacing the first-past-the-post electoral system would prove complex in Nunavut, with its small population occupying one-fifth of the country's land mass.
Such were the discussions focused on who citizens vote for, how they vote, how they are represented and how candidates win.
Participants also noted each of the three territories needs an MP on cabinet.
Hunter Tootoo, voted in as a Liberal, made a cabinet minister, and now neither due to his "inappropriate relationship" with a young member of his staff, drew some fire. At least two people in attendance noted citizens need an effective method to recall MPs if they are underperforming.
"Legitimacy has to be seen between elections, not only at elections every four years. Yes, every four years you can vote out, or vote in, a new MP, but in the meantime we have an MP and there's really not much we can do about it," said one participant.
That party politics doesn't serve Nunavut was also raised.
"When an MP is elected, they need to work with all parties and all members of Parliament because that way they know our issues," Redfern said.
Monsef's cross-country session is a first step in consultations.
A special committee on electoral reform will conduct its own set of consultations with Canadians and is scheduled to present its findings to the House of Commons in December.
According to the material handed out by Monsef's staff, the committee will also travel across the nation and all MPs are "invited" to hold town-hall meetings with their constituents and provide a report to the committee.
