From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)"
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2017 20:42:53 +0000
Subject: RE: RE The Commission on Electoral Reform for NB Yo Hubby Lacroix and Premeir Gallant Why did CBC and GNB fail to tell the Public when and where Public meetings are?
To: David Amos
Thank you for writing to the Premier of New Brunswick. Please be assured that your email will be reviewed and if a response is requested, it will be forthcoming.
Nous vous remercions d’avoir communiqué avec le premier ministre du Nouveau-Brunswick. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel sera examiné et qu’une réponse vous parviendra à sa demande.
---------- Original message ----------
From: justin.trudeau.a1@parl.gc.ca
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2017 20:43:26 +0000
Subject: Réponse automatique : RE The Commission on Electoral Reform for NB Yo Hubby Lacroix and Premeir Gallant Why did CBC and GNB fail to tell the Public when and where Public meetings are?
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Veuillez noter que j'ai changé de courriel. Vous pouvez me rejoindre à lalanthier@hotmail.com
Pour rejoindre le bureau de M. Trudeau veuillez envoyer un courriel à tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca
Please note that I changed email address, you can reach me at lalanthier@hotmail.com
To reach the office of Mr. Trudeau please send an email to tommy.desfosses@parl.gc.ca
Thank you,
Merci ,
---------- Original message ----------
From: Póstur FOR
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2017 20:43:08 +0000
Subject: Re: RE The Commission on Electoral Reform for NB Yo Hubby Lacroix and Premeir Gallant Why did CBC and GNB fail to tell the Public when and where Public meetings are?
To: David Amos
Erindi þitt hefur verið móttekið / Your request has been received
Kveðja / Best regards
Forsætisráðuneytið / Prime Minister's Office
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2017 16:42:24 -0400
Subject: RE The Commission on Electoral Reform for NB Yo Hubby Lacroix and Premeir Gallant Why did CBC and GNB fail to tell the Public when and where Public meetings are?
To: "ht.lacroix"
Cc: David Amos
The Commission on Electoral Reform
c/o The Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet
Executive Council Office
Chancery Place
PO Box 6000
Fredericton NB E3B 5H1
Telephone: 506-444-4417
Fax: 506-453-2266
Email Consultations.ECO-BCE@gnb.ca
Hey
With regards to GNB latest call for briefs please view the document
hereto attached entitled "Democracy Watching" It is a true copy of
the cover letter I gave the former Commission on Legislative Democracy
long before it issued a report in 2005 but failed to answer me.
Perhaps your new commission will do so this time.
Perhaps your assistants can find all the rest of my documents that
came with the aforesaid cover letter if not go to Federal Court and
pull Docket No T-1557-15 You will find the documents there as well.
Clearly I cannot attend these meeting because you dudes illegally
barred me many Moons ago Hence my lawsuit N'esy Pas Premier Gallant?
http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/corporate/public_consultations/ElectoralReform/meetings.html
Upcoming Meetings
Friday, January 6
Council Chamber, Legislative Assembly
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, January 9
Council Chamber, Legislative Assembly
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, January 13
Council Chamber, Legislative Assembly
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, January 16
Council Chamber, Legislative Assembly
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meeting dates and times are subject to change.
Whereas Prof Passaris mentioned the ERRE Committee of House of Commons
that was in Fredericton on October 7th, 2015, he should enjoy
listening to the sound file hereto attached while reading the portion
of the parliamentary hansard found below that the folks on Prince
Edward Island were made well aware of
(I edited this email for you people ask David Coon for all of it if you wish)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos
Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2016 14:38:51 -0400
Subject: RE Electoral Reform on PEI Yo David Coon I must say that the
assistants to Jamie Fox and your buddy the not so happy dentist down
in the basement picked a bad day to hang up the phone on Mean Old Me
To: premier
samyers@assembly.pe.ca, crlavie@assembly.pe.ca,
Natalia.Goodwin@cbc.ca, Kerry.Campbell@cbc.ca, psmith
plleveque@assembly.pe.ca, ajmcdonald@assembly.pe.ca, "David.Coon"
Cc: David Amos
gatownsend@assembly.pe.ca, gopublic
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-electoral-reform-motion-1.3863378
Opposition motion for PR on P.E.I. in 2019 defeated
Motion for referendum on electoral reform remains on the floor
By Natalia Goodwin, Kerry Campbell, CBC News Posted: Nov 23, 2016 6:39 AM AT
The entire Liberal Caucus plus three PCs voted against the motion to
bring in mixed member proportional representation for 2019.
"P.E.I. Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker is expressing extreme
disappointment at the defeat of a motion to bring electoral reform to
the province, saying governments will do "whatever the hell they
want."
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2016 18:08:54 -0400
Subject: YO Lionel "The Big Talking Yankee Lawyer" DO TELL Do I sound
Incoherent? How about the Judges? What say you now CNN or CBC or CTV?
How about YOU James Comey?
To: lionel@lionelmedia.com, "James.Comey"
bob.paulson@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, "leanne.murray"
news
newsonline
newtipsatlanta
oldmaison
markandcaroline
Cc: David Amos
premier
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Póstur FOR
>> Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2016 22:05:47 +0000
>> Subject: Re: Hey Premier Gallant please inform the questionable
>> parliamentarian Birigtta Jonsdottir that although NB is a small "Have
>> Not" province at least we have twice the population of Iceland and
>> that not all of us are as dumb as she and her Prime Minister pretends
>> to be..
>> To: David Amos
>>
>> Erindi þitt hefur verið móttekið / Your request has been received
>>
>> Kveðja / Best regards
>> Forsætisráðuneytið / Prime Minister's Office
>>
>>
>> This is the docket
>>
>> http://cas-cdc-www02.cas-satj.gc.ca/IndexingQueries/infp_RE_info_e.php?court_no=T-1557-15&select_court=T
>>
>> These are digital recordings of the last two hearings
>>
>> Dec 14th https://archive.org/details/BahHumbug
>>
>> Jan 11th https://archive.org/details/Jan11th2015
>>
>> This me running for a seat in Parliament again while CBC denies it again
>>
>> Fundy Royal, New Brunswick Debate – Federal Elections 2015 - The Local
>> Campaign, Rogers TV
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cFOKT6TlSE
>>
>> http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fundy-royal-riding-profile-1.3274276
>>
>> Veritas Vincit
>> David Raymond Amos
>> 902 800 0369
>>
>>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lionel Media
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2016 16:18:43 -0400
Subject: Re: Perhaps Lional the lawyer will call me back now if only
to protect his own butt from litigation EH CNN?
To: David Amos
Thank you for this most interesting note. Incoherent yet most interesting.
All the best,
LIONEL
LOTUS (Lionel of the United States)
Emmy® Award Winning Legal and Media Analyst
"Telling America things no one wants to hear since 1988.”
Logodaedalus & Expert
Lionel’s YouTube Channel
LionelMedia Website
The Official Lionel Reel
Lionel Bio
Lionel is “[a]n intellectual known for his irreverent political and
social humor.” (Newsweek)
“He wears the mantle of Lenny Bruce, with Lenny’s own tropisms: The
Oblique, The Irreverent, The Tangential, The Concupiscent, The
Polymorphous Perverse, The Arcane, The Numinous. And yet Lionel brings
to the table his own savory: A love of the mother tongue and a gonzo
vocabulary that puts his logo on all his works, whether talk-show
hosting, standup-comic spritzing, or hanging out – with himself a
minor art form.” (Jerry Wexler)
“This is not a succedaneum for satisfying the nympholepsy of
nullifidians. Rather it is hoped that the haecceity of this
enchiridion of arcane and recondite sesquipedalian items will appeal
to the oniomania of an eximious Gemeinschaft whose legerity and
sophrosyne, whose Sprachgefühl and orexis will find more than
fugacious fulfillment among its felicific pages.” (Laurence Urdang)
> On Nov 3, 2016, at 1:31 PM, David Amos
>
> http://www.lebronfirm.com/contact
>
> Telephone
>
> +1-646-979-9520
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "CNN.Viewer.Communications.Management"
>
> Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2016 17:11:41 +0000
> Subject: From CNN
> To: David Amos
>
> Greetings,
> Thank you for taking the time to submit your news tip to CNN. This
> message is your confirmation that we have successfully received it. A
> CNN representative will be in touch with you if we are interested in
> exploring your tip and require additional information. If this is a
> breaking news event and requires immediate attention, please call
> 404.827.1500 and select option 1.
>
> Thanks again for your interest, and keep your browser pointed to CNN |
> The Most Trusted Name in News
>
> CNN Viewer Services
>
>
> On 11/3/16, David Amos
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bMJa3vWJAo
>>
>> How Corrupt Mainstream Media Rig Elections and Then Deny It
>> Lionel Nation
>> Published on Nov 2, 2016
>>
>> This is beyond obvious. But I'll explain it any way.
>>
>> ME TOO
>>
>> QSLS Politics
>> By Location Visit Detail
>> Visit 36,741
>> Domain Name wgbh.org ? (Organization)
>> IP Address 198.147.175.# (WGBH Educational Foundation)
>> ISP WGBH Educational Foundation
>> Location
>> Continent : North America
>> Country : United States (Facts)
>> State : Massachusetts
>> City : Brighton
>> Lat/Long : 42.3484, -71.1551 (Map)
>> Language English (U.S.) en-us
>> Operating System Macintosh MacOSX
>> Browser Safari 1.3
>> Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_11_6) AppleWebKit/537.36
>> (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/54.0.2840.71 Safari/537.36
>> Javascript version 1.5
>> Monitor
>> Resolution : 1920 x 1080
>> Color Depth : 24 bits
>> Time of Visit Nov 1 2016 5:46:43 pm
>> Last Page View Nov 1 2016 5:52:07 pm
>> Visit Length 5 minutes 24 seconds
>> Page Views 2
>> Referring URL https://search.yahoo.com/
>> Visit Entry Page http://qslspolitics....leblower-part-3.html
>> Visit Exit Page http://qslspolitics....leblower-part-3.html
>> Out Click
>> Time Zone UTC-4:00
>> Visitor's Time Nov 1 2016 12:46:43 pm
>> Visit Number 36,741
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos
>> Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2016 04:04:03 -0400
>> Subject: Fwd: You are welcome Hillary and when are you and your
>> buddies such as Obama now Prez and Comey now of the FBI gonna get
>> around to answering the documents from 12 years ago which hereto
>> attached?
>> To: "James.Comey"
>>
>>
>> Cc: David Amos
>>
>>
>> "leanne.murray"
>>
>> ---------- Original message ----------
>> From: Info Rocky 2016
>> Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2016 01:00:00 -0700
>> Subject: Re: Fwd: RE An October surprise for Yankees Now all the
>> latest GOP wannabe US Presidents can't deny that they know what
>> Bernie, Hillary and the Donald have known for quite some time about
>> mean old me versus the Red Coats EH Trudeau "The Younger" and Stevey
>> Boy Harper?
>> To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>
>> Thank you for your interest in the "We the People" political campaign
>> of Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente. We will return your inquiries as soon
>> possible. If you need immediate assistance please contact Rocky's
>> campaign headquarters at (858) 569-9000.
>>
>> For more information about Rocky and his platform, please visit
>> www.rocky2016.com.
>>
>> --
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Public Affairs Team
>> Rocky 2016 LLC
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: David Amos
>> Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:46:15 -0400
>> Subject: You are welcome Hillary and when are you and your buddies
>> such as Obama now Prez and Comey now of the FBI gonna get around to
>> answering the documents from 12 years ago which hereto attached?
>> To: nh@donaldtrump.com, info@nhgop.org, chris@chrissununu.com,
>> info@livefreeordiealliance.com, zmontanaro@donaldtrump.com,
>> Info@603alliance.org, electchrisbooth@yahoo.com, 2016@brianchabot.org,
>> ardventures@gmail.com, info@kellyfornh.com, info@maggiehassan.com,
>> washington field
>>
>> "hon.ralph.goodale"
>> Cc: David Amos
>> info@hillaryclinton.com, HQ@jillstein.org, Info@garyjohnson2016.com,
>> info@rocky2016.com
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Official Clinton Campaign
>> Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 18:36:01 +0000 (GMT)
>> Subject: Thank you for your message
>> To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com"
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Info Rocky 2016
>> Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 11:36:00 -0700
>> Subject: Re: Sometimes less is more So I talked about Maggie Hassan
>> and cohorts to Parliamentarians then called the GOP HQ in New
>> Hampshire explained some things and told them to look forward to this
>> email and Halloween as well
>> To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
>>
>> Thank you for your interest in the "We the People" political campaign
>> of Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente. We will return your inquiries as soon
>> possible. If you need immediate assistance please contact Rocky's
>> campaign headquarters at (858) 569-9000.
>>
>> For more information about Rocky and his platform, please visit
>> www.rocky2016.com.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Public Affairs Team
>> Rocky 2016 LLC
>>
>>
>> On 10/26/16, David Amos
>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>> From: David Amos
>>> Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:31:43 -0400
>>> Subject: Attn Alain Rayes remember me?
>>> To: Alain.Rayes@parl.gc.ca, pm
>>>
>>> Cc: David Amos
>>>
>>> http://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.ca/2016/10/mr-prime-minister-trudeau-younger-and.html
>>>
>>> Friday, 21 October 2016
>>> Mr Prime Minister Trudeau "The Younger" , the CBC, the RCMP and the
>>> CROWN's many lawyers should understand why I appreciate Parliament
>>> labelling citizen's words as EVIDENCE N'esy Pas?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=e&Mode=1&Parl=42&Ses=1&DocId=8493010
>>>
>>>
>>> Special Committee on Electoral Reform
>>> NUMBER 039
>>> l
>>> 1st SESSION
>>> l
>>> 42nd PARLIAMENT
>>> EVIDENCE
>>> Friday, October 7, 2016
>>> [Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
>>> (1335)
>>> [English]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Thank you very much.
>>> Mr. David Amos, the floor is yours.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos (As an Individual):
>>> Mr. Chair, I ran for public office five times against your party.
>>> That said, I ran against Mr. DeCourcey's boss right here in
>>> Fredericton in the election for the 39th Parliament.
>>> I was not aware of this committee meeting in Fredericton today
>>> until I heard Mr. DeCourcey speaking on CBC this morning. I don't
>>> pretend to know something I don't, but I'm a quick study. I thought I
>>> had paid my dues to sit on the panel. I notified the clerks in a
>>> timely fashion, but I received no response. At least I get another
>>> minute and a half.
>>> The previous speaker answered the $64,000 question: 338. I can
>>> name every premier in the country. Governor Maggie Hassan is my
>>> governor in New Hampshire. The people there who sit in the house get
>>> paid $100 a year plus per diem expenses. I think that's the way to run
>>> a government. There are lots of seats in the house for a very small
>>> state.
>>> My understanding of this hearing is that you have to report to Mr.
>>> Trudeau by December 1, because he said during the election that if he
>>> were elected Prime Minister, the 42nd Parliament, which I also ran in,
>>> would be the last first-past-the-post election. You don't have much
>>> time, so my suggestion to the clerks today, which I published and sent
>>> to the Prime Minister of Iceland and his Attorney General, was to do
>>> what Iceland does. Just cut and paste their rules. They have no first
>>> past the post. They have a pending election.
>>> A former friend of mine, Birgitta Jónsdóttir, founded a party
>>> there, for which there is no leader. It is the Pirate Party. It's high
>>> in the polls right now with no leader. That's interesting. I tweeted
>>> this. You folks said that you follow tweets, so you should have seen
>>> what I tweeted before I came here this evening.
>>> That said, as a Canadian, I propose something else. Number one,
>>> my understanding of the Constitution and what I read about law....
>>> There was a constitutional expert named Edgar Schmidt who sued the
>>> government. He was the man who was supposed to vet bills for Peter
>>> MacKay to make sure they were constitutionally correct. He did not
>>> argue the charter. He argued Mr. Diefenbaker's Bill of Rights.
>>> In 2002 I read a document filed by a former deputy minister of
>>> finance, Kevin Lynch, who later became Mr. Harper's clerk of the Privy
>>> Council. Now he's on an independent board of the Chinese oil company
>>> that bought Nexen. As deputy minister of finance, he reported to the
>>> American Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of the
>>> corporation known as Canada. It is a very interesting document that I
>>> saved and forwarded to you folks. It says that he was in a quandary
>>> about whether the charter was in effect.
>>> (2005)
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Could it be in relation to a particular voting system?
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> According to Mr. Lynch, because of the failure of the Meech Lake
>>> and Charlottetown accords, he was in a quandary as to whether the
>>> charter was in effect. I know that the Supreme Court argues it on a
>>> daily basis. That charter, created by Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Chrétien,
>>> his attorney general at the time, gave me the right to run for public
>>> office and vote as a Canadian citizen. However, in the 1990s, Mr.
>>> Chrétien came out with a law, and because I am a permanent American
>>> resident, I can't vote. Yet the charter says I can.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> That's a—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> That said, that's been argued in court. In 2000, Mr. Chrétien came
>>> out with a law that said I couldn't vote. Right? He also took away my
>>> social insurance number.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> I don't know about the case—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> No, he did.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> But I don't know about the case.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> I did prove, after I argued with Elections Canada's lawyers in
>>> 2004.... You might have taken away my right to vote, but you can't
>>> stop me from running for public office, and I proved it five times.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Given that you're an experienced candidate—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Very experienced.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> —does that experience provide you with a particular insight on the
>>> voting systems we're looking at?
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> In Mr. Trudeau's words, he has to come up with a plan and no more
>>> first past the post. My suggestion to you, in my contact today, is to
>>> cut and paste Iceland's rules.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> What kind of system does Iceland have?
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> It's just what you need, just what Mr. Trudeau is ordering now.
>>> It's proportional elections.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Is it MMP, or is it just...?
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> I tweeted you the beginner's book for Iceland.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Okay, we'll look at Iceland.
>>> We're just checking on the kind of system they have, but I
>>> appreciate the input, especially from a candidate, from somebody who
>>> has run many times.
>>> But we do have—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> I have two other points, because I don't think you can pull this
>>> off. I don't think it will happen.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Well, I'm hoping we do.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Here is my suggestion. You guys are going north.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Yes.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Look how parliamentarians are elected in the Northwest
>>> Territories. There is no party, and I like that.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> That's true. We were just up in Yellowknife, in fact, and we
>>> learned all about that. That's why it's good for us to be travelling
>>> the country.
>>> But, sir, I—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> I have one more suggestion.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> One more.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Mr. Harper changed the Canada Elections Act and I still couldn't
>>> vote.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Yes, I was in the House when that happened.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Anyway, that said, when you alter the Canada Elections Act, make
>>> it....
>>> The biggest problem we have is, look at the vast majority of
>>> people who, like me, have never voted in their life. Apathy rules the
>>> day.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Except that you've put us on to an idea about Iceland—
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Let me finish.
>>> I suggest that you make voting mandatory, such as Australia does.
>>> Make it that if you don't vote, it costs you money, just like if you
>>> don't report to Statistics Canada.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Well, we're talking about that. That is part of our mandate, to
>>> look at mandatory voting and online voting.
>>> You already had your last suggestion.
>>> (2010)
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Put in the line, “none of the above”, and if “none of the above”
>>> wins—
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> That's right, we've heard that, too.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> Well, I haven't.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> We've heard that in our testimony.
>>>
>>> Mr. David Amos:
>>> You and I will be talking again, trust me on that one, by way of
>>> writing.
>>> You answered my emails, Ma'am.
>>>
>>> The Chair:
>>> Thank you very much, sir.
>>> Now we'll hear from Julie Maitland.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-trudeau-electoral-reform-critics-1.3813714
>>>
>>> Critics accuse Justin Trudeau of electoral reform flip-flop for
>>> 'selfish' political gain
>>> Prime minister insists he is 'deeply committed' to consultation
>>> process on changes to voting system
>>> By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: Oct 20, 2016 4:44 PM ET
>>>
>>
http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/corporate/public_consultations/ElectoralReform.html
The commission has been given the following mandates:
Assess commitments made by the provincial government in 2014 to
contribute to making a more effective Legislature by:
– eliminating barriers to entering politics for underrepresented groups; and
– investigating means to improve participation in democracy, such
as preferential ballots and online voting.
Assess other electoral reform matters that have been raised
recently, namely:
– the voting age;
– political contribution rules; and
– political spending rules.
The commission is required to consult with New Brunswickers by:
engaging experts, interest groups and the public about the issues
and options presented in the discussion paper on Electoral Reform; and
giving New Brunswickers the opportunity to make written submissions.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/electoral-reform-commission-meetings-1.3916003
Electoral reform commission invites public to join upcoming meetings
Commission formed in November, tasked with assessing things like
online voting and age of voting
By Sarah Betts, CBC News Posted: Dec 30, 2016 8:30 AM AT
The province's electoral reform commission is looking for public
input, especially from under-represented groups, in an effort to
strengthen democracy in New Brunswick.
Constantine Passaris, one of five members of the commission, said they
are hoping to get a lot of feedback from New Brunswickers.
"We're reaching out to them to engage them in the process because this
is a very important process. Electoral reform is one of the
foundations of what keeps democracy breathing and living through the
centuries," he said.
Meetings, which are open to the public, are set for Jan. 4 and will
continue each Monday and Wednesday of the month until Jan. 27.
Constantine Passaris
Constantine Passaris, an economics professor at the University of New
Brunswick, said the commission hopes to help underrepresented groups
and incorporate new technology into the electoral reform. (UNB)
Passaris said the commission is expected to report its recommendations
to the provincial government on March 1.
He said the commission's purpose is to make sure people are aware of
what it is doing in terms of recommending "new frontiers for electoral
reform" to the government, as well as how democracy can be
strengthened and how more people can be engaged in the democratic
process.
"We're particularly interested in under-represented groups in society,
getting them engaged in the political process, looking at the
transformation information technology has made available to us," he
said.
What do the people want?
The commission is preparing to hear from various stakeholder groups
and experts in January.
Passaris said stakeholders include women's groups, multicultural
organizations, agencies regarding disability issues, younger
generations, and Indigenous groups.
Experts are considered to be those who have expertise in areas such as
cyber security, political participation and political party finances.
The commission invited the public to share thoughts and concerns on
its website up until Nov. 30, but Passaris said that deadline is one
that is "movable."
"As long as the commission will be holding its public sessions, we
would like the public to continue to send in their comments," he said.
Passaris said the commission is reaching out "to make sure that all
New Brunswickers are aware of this commission … and to provide an open
invitation for all New Brunwickers to participate in the process
because we strongly believe that this process should be inclusive and
should be transparent."
PEI plebiscite form
Envelopes like these were sent to more than 100,000 Islanders
registered to vote in the provincial plebiscite on electoral reform.
(Kerry Campbell/CBC)
He said they have not yet looked at the feedback from the initial open
period, but the commission has been discussing amongst itself and
identifying who they want to hear from.
A referendum dealing with similar issues was dealt with via plebiscite
in Prince Edward Island between October and November.
Votes indicated mixed member proportional representation was the
preferred choice with over 52 per cent support on the final ballot.
However, as voter turnout was at a low 36 per cent, Premier Wade
MacLauchlan said he was doubtful the results could "be said to
constitute a clear expression of the will of Prince Edward Islanders."
'A mini-citizens assembly'
New Brunswick legislature
A flag waves in the fall breeze in front of the legislative assembly
in Fredericton. (Daniel McHardie/CBC)
Passaris said the model of the New Brunswick commission on electoral
reform is very different from the federal committee that released its
report on Dec.1.
Rather than being a committee of House of Commons members, Passaris
said New Brunswick's model is different.
"It is basically made up of citizens who expressed an interest in
participating in this process and were selected by the government to
form a sort of mini-citizens assembly of five people," he said.
Passaris said he believes this is a better approach because discussion
will not be effected by the "element of advancing their political
parties and the political ambitions."
As the democratic process evolves over time, Passaris said the
democratic institutions, mechanisms and machinery have to change with
it.
"We need to keep pushing the frontiers. We need to build a bigger tent
so more people can come into [it] and enjoy the benefits of living in
a province and a country that has an outstanding democratic record."
This isn't the first time New Brunswick has studied ways to improve
its democratic institutions.
In 2005, the Commission on Legislative Democracy issued a report,
which made many recommendations, including moving to a mixed member,
proportional representation voting system.
Bernard Lord's Tories were defeated before the majority of those
recommendations could be implemented.
Another report was done in 2011 looking at ways to improve politics
and legislative democracy.
Executive Council Office
Electoral reform commissioners announced
09 November 2016
FREDERICTON (GNB) – The provincial government has announced the names
of the five members of the commission on electoral reform who will be
tasked with submitting recommendations for improving the electoral
system in New Brunswick.
The individuals are Carolyn MacKay, Bev Harrison, Gaétane Johnson,
Jason Alcorn and Constantine Passaris.
“These individuals were chosen for their high levels of experience and
exceptional qualifications,” said Health Minister Victor Boudreau, who
is also deputy house leader. “I congratulate them on being selected
and look forward to seeing their recommendations for improving our
democracy.”
The members were chosen following a process that allowed any member of
the public to express their interest in serving. They will be given
the following mandate:
Assess commitments made by the provincial government in 2014 to
contribute to making a more effective legislature by eliminating
barriers to entering politics for underrepresented groups; and
investigating means to improve participation in democracy, such as
preferential ballots and online voting.
Assess other electoral reform matters that have been raised
recently including changing the voting age, political contribution
rules and political spending rules.
“Yesterday, the State of Maine voted in favour of the preferential
ballot and the day before Prince Edward Island voted for electoral
reform using the preferential ballot,” said Boudreau. “This is an
evolutionary system worthy of consideration.”
Boudreau also noted that the non-binding Prince Edward Island
plebiscite offered the option of online voting and allowed votes from
16 and 17-year-olds, which are also options being considered by the
commission.
The public has been encouraged to participate in the process by
reading the discussion paper Strengthening New Brunswick’s Democracy
and submitting comments. The information received will be compiled and
analyzed by the commission. Recommendations will be submitted to the
clerk of the Executive Council by March 1, 2017.
Following are the biographies of the commission members:
Carolyn MacKay
A career civil servant with the provincial government, MacKay held a
number of senior positions over the course of her 37-year career. In
2007, she was named deputy minister, a post she held until she retired
in February 2014. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a
master’s degree in business administration from the University of New
Brunswick.
Bev Harrison
Harrison was first elected as a member of the legislative assembly in
1978. He was re-elected four times, including terms in 2006 and 2010
as the MLA for the riding of Hampton-Kings. A former high school
teacher and principal, he held different positions including minister
of supply and services, government house leader and speaker of the
legislative assembly. He also served on various standing committees.
Gaétane Johnson
Johnson was elected as a councillor for the Village of Rogersville in
May 2015. The 18-year-old, who is studying psychology at Université de
Moncton, has received various honours over the course of her studies,
including the Governor General’s Academic Medal and the Roméo-LeBlanc
Excellence Scholarship.
Jason Alcorn
Alcorn joined the Financial and Consumer Services Commission in May
2006, where he works as senior legal counsel within the securities
division. He holds a bachelor of laws from Université de Moncton, a
master’s degree in International Affairs from Institut d’études
politiques de Paris and a bachelor of arts in political science from
University of New Brunswick, Saint John campus. He is a former student
of the prestigious École nationale d’administration in France.
Constantine Passaris
An economics professor at the University of New Brunswick, Passaris
has extensive experience in the private and public sectors. Along with
experience in teaching, research and administration at the university
level, Passaris has worked in banking in the private sector and served
as a policy consultant for the federal government and several
provincial governments. Along with his role at the university,
Passaris is an Onassis Foundation Fellow, a research affiliate of the
Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the University
of Lethbridge, an affiliate professor of the Canadian Centre for
German and European Studies at York University and a member of the
Academic Scientific Board of the International Institute of Advanced
Economic and Social Studies.
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