The Better Democracy Roadmap outlines our federal democratic reform policy platform through 4 areas of focus to uplift and recentre the public interest in Canadian politics.
Vote 16Canada’s political parties allow 16-year-olds to join as voting members, and countries worldwide have lowered the voting age to 16. Extending the voting age will increase the likelihood of voters casting their 1st ballot and developing a lifelong habit of participation.→ We need to extend voting rights in federal elections to 16-year-old Canadians. |
Safeguard party nomination races for MPsForeign Interference in our electoral ecosystem is no joke! With our FPTP voting system producing many, many ‘safe seats’ in our parliament — party nomination races have effectively turned into elections. An internationally known point of vulnerability, party nomination races should have common rules for all citizens seeking public office.→ We need standardized party nomination contests for federal elections where Elections Canada is empowered with an oversight role and enforcement capacity. |
Replace the First Past the Post (FPTP) voting systemOur ‘winner-take-all’ voting system distorts the vote count in every general election. Some MPs are elected with under 30% of the vote, and government majorities get formed with under 40% support. Canada is one of three countries in the OECD using FPTP and the only one using it at all levels of government. → We need to replace the First Past The Post voting system. (we support using a non-partisan process such as a national citizen assembly to inform what other voting systems could be used). |
Implement weekend voting1 in 4 non-voters cite busyness during the week as a reason they didn’t vote, & 78% of youth (18-30) believe weekend voting would make it easier for them to vote. Weekend voting represents a tangible step toward overcoming barriers and rebuilding trust in our institutions through participation. → We need to hold the general election voting period over Saturday and Sunday in each federal election. |
Flatten the annual donation limit to MPs
|
Reinstate the per-vote subsidyTax dollars are reimbursing individual political donations. This needs to end. Bring back what worked and make every vote count - use our public funds on political parties based on their popular vote support. → We need to reinstate the per-vote subsidy (allowance) to federal political parties. |
National awareness days can be a powerful catalyst for systemic change and targeted action. A day of democracy serves as a long-awaited rally for all Canadians, reaffirming our commitment to democratic ideals and providing a platform to educate each other on critical democratic issues and how we can strengthen our democracy.
→ We need to establish a Day of Democracy in Canada (similar to the September 15 International Day of Democracy at the United Nations).