(OTTAWA) – Despite today’s defeat in parliament, the Green Party of Canada will continue to advocate for the government to accept recommendations from the Special Committee on Electoral Reform.

“Justin Trudeau promised that 2015 would be the last election held under our antiquated First Past the Post voting system, which produces false majority governments with a minority of the popular vote,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).

“Today, a slim majority of Liberal MPs rejected the recommendations from the Special Committee on Electoral Reform in a vote of 159-146. All opposition party members – Conservative, NDP, Bloc and Green MPs – voted in favour of this report. This cross-partisan majority report offered the Liberals a roadmap to select a fair and democratic voting system, one that maintained a link between constituents and their local MPs. They now risk squandering a golden opportunity to create better government for all Canadians.

“I thank the NDP’s Nathan Cullen for putting forward today’s motion, and Liberal MPs Nathaniel Eskine-Smith and Sean Casey for their integrity in expressing the will of their constituents by voting in favour of the motion.

“In British Columbia, where the BC Greens now hold the balance of power, there is a unique opportunity to demonstrate how collaborative, cross-partisan government can work. Members of the BC legislature can model to all Canadians how government could function in a system where no one party holds 100% of the power. People are tired of hyper-partisan politics, and of parties prizing power over principles. I’m confident we will witness in British Columbia how proportional representation can change politics for the better," Ms. May concluded.

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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Dan Palmer

Press Secretary | Attaché de presse

dan.palmer@greenparty.ca

m: (613) 614-4916