[fvc-wat-disc] Our Meeting With Raj Saini

[Cathy Scott]

HI, Sharon

Thanks for the information about the meeting with Raj.

It sounds like it went well.  I’m glad there were enough people to fill the room.

See you soon

Cathy

 

From: fvc-wat-disc [mailto:fvc-wat-disc-bounces at listserv.thinkers.org] On Behalf Of Sharon Sommerville
Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2017 9:27 AM
To: fvc-wat-announce at listserv.thinkers.org; fvc-wat-disc at listserv.thinkers.org
Subject: [fvc-wat-disc] Our Meeting With Raj Saini

 

Hello Fairvoting Friends,

 

On Friday afternoon, a group of nine of us meet with Raj Saini, (L) MP for Kitchener Centre. Nine folks pretty much fills Raj's office!  We presented Raj with this summer's petition which asked that his party keep their campaign promise and enact legislation to change our electoral system in time for 2019.  There were well over 500 signatures on the petition.

 

Our message was strong, clear, passionate and respectful. Each of us had time to speak directly to Raj about why they care about electoral reform. Those comments were very powerful. 

 

People spoke about the inevitability of electoral reform as our own experience and recent polls (In late Oct. Insights West found that 67% of Cdns. want the Liberal government to keep its promise on electoral reform, in early Oct. Angus Reid found the same) & the evidence that supports change, one of us emphasized that this is a legacy issue as his father before him established by patriating our Constitution and raised the question of what side of history do you and your party want to be on?, one of us asked him, "I know, that you know that PR is the way to go to establish a fair electoral system, what happen?".  One of us asked, what can we do to help you support PR?.  One wanted to finally, after 40 years of voting, to be represented by someone they voted for.  

 

 

We addressed Trudeau's statement that the decision to renege on the promise of electoral reform was his to make and he made it because they weren't going to be able to institute Alternative Vote (June 2017, Iqaluit, Nunavut).  We raised the anti-democratic nature of that statement. Raj spoke about the threat of a referendum being the justification for not moving forward with electoral reform. We knew that because the Liberals were unwilling to negotiate with the NDP & Greens to bring about the ERRE recommendations, the NDP & Greens brokered a deal with the Conservatives. To bring in a majority report from the ERRE committee, the price was a referendum.

 

Raj promised to present our petition to the House and speak with the Minister of Democratic Institutions about our concerns.  We thank Raj for taking those actions and for the respectful conversation we had on Friday.

 

There is interest in putting a group together to speak with Bardish Chagger (L) Waterloo. If anyone is interested in going to meet with Minister Chagger, please let me know and we will arrange a meeting.  You can reach me at:

 

 sharonsommerville at gmail.com 

 

A sincere thank you to the eight fair voting supporters who attended Friday's meeting.  Everyone's passion, honesty and determination is inspiring. 

 

Attached is a wonderful video of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", just in case you need a little inspiration right now.  And, you can see a photo of our team outside Raj's office at FVC-WR's website.  The link is also attached.

 

With thanks to all our supporters for your continued support as we work toward building a better Canada.

 

Best wishes,

Sharon

for FVC-WR

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4

 

http://www.fairvotewrc.ca/reminding-raj-saini-about-electoral-reform/?t=1 <http://www.fairvotewrc.ca/reminding-raj-saini-about-electoral-reform/?t=1&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email&iid=3528e8591d67497a803a18f64ef78a18&uid=756912124761370624&nid=244+272699400> &cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email&iid=3528e8591d67497a803a18f64ef78a18&uid=756912124761370624&nid=244+272699400

 

 

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