383,074 Canadians participated in online poll
MyDemocracy.ca, an online survey application created by Canada’s Liberal government, intended to not only increase political dialogue, but to also take stock of the state of democracy in the country, as seen by its citizens.
From the moment it was released, the survey received criticism for being “confusing, leading, repetitious, and even overtly partisan,” according to the CTV News.
Despite the negative attention, from its start date on Dec. 5, 2016 until it closed on Jan. 15, 2017, the survey saw 383,074 participants.
“We are grateful so many people participated in this innovative, interactive application to help us build a stronger, healthier democracy,” Karina Gould, the newly-appointed minister of democratic institutions, said in a news release early last week.
According to the Government of Canada’s executive summary for the survey, one of the key findings to come out of this initiative was that Canadians wish to see more freedom for their members of parliament. This would mean relaxing party discipline and allowing more autonomy in their decision-making.
In terms of electoral reform, which was, according to CBC News, the initial purpose of this survey, the findings are not clearly pointing one way or the other.
Based on the analysis, Canadians want a ballot that is easy to understand and they also tend to prefer attributes often associated with different electoral systems. However, “A majority of Canadians [67 per cent] report being somewhat or very satisfied with the way democracy works in Canada.”
In more simplified terms, this means that while many Canadians wouldn’t be opposed to electoral reform if it is easy to understand, many are fairly content with the way things are right now.
During his campaign, Prime Minister Trudeau promised to make the 2015 election the last election to take place using the first-past-the-post system. Since then, the Liberal government has been less than forthcoming about a decision on electoral reform.
The MyDemocracy.ca survey did not ask any direct questions about electoral systems or preferences.
According to The Globe and Mail, this led to additional criticism that the current government “Could tailor the results to their will.”
Opposition MPs on the all-party committee released a report in early December recommending a referendum on electoral reform. The exact system that would be voted on in this case, whether it is a ranked ballot or a party list, has not yet been determined.
The Liberal MPs on the committee argued that this decision was “too rushed” and “too radical” to implement at this time. Since the release of the survey results last week, there have been no statements from the Liberals regarding whether or not electoral reform, or even a referendum, are in the near future.
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