OTTAWA — A controversial government survey designed to gauge public appetite on reforming the electoral system has concluded that two-thirds of Canadians are satisfied with this country’s democracy. The findings indicate, however, that while 17 per cent are “very satisfied” with the state of Canada’s democracy, half the respondents are only “somewhat satisfied.” MyDemocracy.ca was launched on Dec. 5, 2016. Invitations to participate in the online survey were sent to 15 million Canadian households. Six weeks later, approximately 383,074 unique users had taken part in the poll, the survey’s creator, Vox Pop Labs, said in a report released late Tuesday.

Karina Gould is sworn in as Minister of Democratic Institutions during a cabinet shuffle at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2017. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP) The results, which were weighted to the census to increase the representativeness of the findings, found Canadians are generally satisfied with the current electoral system, Clifton van der Linden, the founder and chief executive officer of Vox Pop Labs, suggested in the report. “Though satisfaction does not necessarily preclude a desire for reforming the electoral system, a majority of Canadians (67%) report being somewhat or very satisfied with the way democracy works in Canada,” he stated. The survey’s responses could give the Trudeau government an excuse not to push forward with changes. The online consultation was celebrated by former Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef as a way to consult directly with Canadians on the values they wanted to see reflected in a new electoral system. The Liberal party promised during the 2015 election campaign that it would be the last under the first-past-the-post, or winner-take-all, system. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau pledged he would “make every vote count.” Since forming the government, however, the Grits have not shown as much enthusiasm for reform.

Maryam Monsef speaks in the House of Commons on Dec. 5 , 2016. (Photo: Fred Chartrand/CP) Critics panned the survey because it didn’t ask Canadians what electoral system they would prefer, nor did it ask simple questions such as: “Do you believe a political party that obtains 30 per cent of the popular vote should have 30 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons?” Van der Linden wrote in his report that many Canadians value different features associated with different types of electoral systems. For example, 58.6 per cent of respondents said having the ability to hold governments to account was important — a feature often associated with the first-past-the-post system, where lines of party accountability are clear. At the same time, 55.7 per cent of respondents said collaborating with other parties should be a priority in Parliament — this is often a hallmark of legislatures with voting systems that are more proportional. This could embolden advocates of proportional representation, such as the NDP and the Green party, which have long championed having more disparate voices in Parliament and, likely, more minority governments.