Former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley is calling on Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to implement a proportional voting system in time for the next federal election.

Speaking on behalf of the Every Voter Counts Alliance on Parliament Hill Thursday — a group of high-profile Canadians that also includes Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff, Guy Giorno, former Privy Council Clerk Alex Himelfarb, Neil Young and David Suzuki — Kingsley said the special committee on electoral reform’s December 1 report has provided the Liberals with both a challenge and an opportunity.

Though the electoral reform committee report recommended a referendum on a proportional voting system, the Liberals’ dissenting report argued that changing the electoral system before the next election would be “too radical”.

“The government has had seven weeks since December 1st to begin working on its choice of systems — 34 months remain to the next general election,” Kingsley said Thursday.

“The earlier the government tables its proposal, the greater the opportunity for Canadians to consider it, to debate it, and to understand it. The leadership of (Democratic Reform Minister Karina) Gould is essential in this endeavour, as is that of Prime Minister Trudeau himself.”

Kingsley described the referendum recommendation in the report as a “great compromise” reached by the committee, though not one he personally supports.

“Some people did not want a referendum, but they agreed to go along with it. As far as I’m concerned, that’s what the committee has decided and that is what will abide,” he said.

“We’ll see what happens. Starting off with a government proposal on proportional representation would be an excellent start,” he added in French.

With Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand, Kingsley’s successor, having stepped down on December 28, Kingsley also said he was concerned that little has been said by the government about finding a replacement.

Mayrand announced his intention to step down last June.

“I don’t know why it’s taken so long to even launch a competition for his position,” Kingsley said in French. “It’s not that difficult a task.”

When asked last November about the process to find a new chief electoral officer, then-Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef said an “interim arrangement” might be necessary.

“As you know, there is going to be a period where there may be an interim arrangement in place. As you are probably well aware, the next chief electoral officer, just like the previous one, has to be endorsed through a unanimous vote in the House of Commons,” she said.

“I know that these are really big shoes to fill, but I’m confident that there are many talented Canadians who have the courage and the desire to serve their country in that position.”