After seeding doubt, Trudeau reaffirms ‘deep’ commitment to change voting system

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Justin Trudeau says he remains “deeply committed” to reforming the voting system.

The prime minister reaffirmed his commitment Thursday, one day after he appeared to be preparing to renege on his promise that the 2015 federal election would be the last conducted under the first-past-the-post process.

“I think it’s important that a country as forward thinking and constantly improving and evolving as Canada is alert to opportunities to improve our systems of governance and the way we pick our governments,” Trudeau said after taking part in the official opening of Amazon Canada’s new warehouse and distribution centre in Brampton, Ont.

“And that’s a commitment we made in our election that I continue to be deeply committed to.”

Trudeau’s reassurance was in contrast to an interview published Wednesday in Montreal’s Le Devoir newspaper, in which the prime minister said that any major reform to the voting system will require “substantial” support. At the same time, he opined that the public clamour for reform has subsided since the Liberals defeated Stephen Harper’s Conservatives one year ago.

“Under the current system, (Canadians) now have a government they’re more satisfied with and the motivation to change the electoral system is less compelling,” he told Le Devoir.