unimaginative2
Senior Member
Seats redistribution unfair to Ontario, McGuinty says
GLORIA GALLOWAY
November 15, 2007
OTTAWA -- Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has condemned the reintroduction of federal legislation that he says shortchanges his province as it increases and redistributes the seats in the House of Commons.
The bill is aimed at increasing seats in fast-growing Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, where the average population per riding is 30,000 to 40,000 above those in most other provinces.
But, while it ensures that the number of British Columbians and Albertans necessary to elect a member of Parliament would approximate the national average, Ontario would remain under-represented.
"It will undermine some of our most cherished democratic rights: representation by population; one person, one vote; equality under the law and effective representation," Mr. McGuinty said in a strongly worded statement.
"When important national decisions are made, Ontarians will not have the same right to have their voices heard, or their views count compared to Canadians living in B.C., Alberta or Quebec. In fact, Ontarians will have weaker representation in the federal Parliament than Canadians living anywhere else in Canada."
The legislation, which was first put forward last spring but died when Parliament was prorogued, is written in such a way that Quebec's ratio of voters to MPs becomes the benchmark. Any provinces more populous than Quebec - Ontario is the only one - would not enjoy the full benefits.
In 2021, Ontario's share of the national population is expected to reach 40.4 per cent while its share of seats will be 35.6 per cent, an under-representation of 4.8 percentage points or 12 per cent. The Ontario under-representation in 2011 is projected at 4.3 percentage points. By that year, the new distribution would mean the average constituency in Ontario would have 115,299 voters. That compares with the average constituency in Quebec, which would have 104,552 voters, the average constituency in Alberta with 105,551 voters, and the average constituency in British Columbia with 105,698 voters.
"The Ontario government is surprised and disappointed that the federal government has chosen to weaken the voting rights of Ontarians," Mr. McGuinty said. "That is why our government will take all necessary measures to halt this constitutional amendment."
Nor is Quebec pleased with the proposed redistribution. All three parties in the National Assembly have unanimously adopted a motion calling on the House of Commons to oppose the legislation.
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe pointed to a letter yesterday from B.C. Conservative MP James Moore that says British Columbia and Alberta currently have 62 seats in Parliament between them while Quebec has 75 seats. Under the new distribution, says the letter from Mr. Moore to his constituents, "British Columbia and Alberta will have a combined 76 seats while Quebec will continue to have 75 seats."
That rankled the Bloc Leader. "From now on, Alberta and B.C. will have more than Quebec," he said. "It seems that it was the goal of the whole thing."
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, on the other hand, applauded the legislation, saying it recognizes his province's growing population.
The plan would eventually add 22 seats to the Commons, all of them in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Ontario would get 10, British Columbia seven and Alberta five. Those seats would probably come into play around 2014.
No province, save Ontario, will have a gap of more than one percentage point between its seat allotment and its share of the national population.
GLORIA GALLOWAY
November 15, 2007
OTTAWA -- Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has condemned the reintroduction of federal legislation that he says shortchanges his province as it increases and redistributes the seats in the House of Commons.
The bill is aimed at increasing seats in fast-growing Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, where the average population per riding is 30,000 to 40,000 above those in most other provinces.
But, while it ensures that the number of British Columbians and Albertans necessary to elect a member of Parliament would approximate the national average, Ontario would remain under-represented.
"It will undermine some of our most cherished democratic rights: representation by population; one person, one vote; equality under the law and effective representation," Mr. McGuinty said in a strongly worded statement.
"When important national decisions are made, Ontarians will not have the same right to have their voices heard, or their views count compared to Canadians living in B.C., Alberta or Quebec. In fact, Ontarians will have weaker representation in the federal Parliament than Canadians living anywhere else in Canada."
The legislation, which was first put forward last spring but died when Parliament was prorogued, is written in such a way that Quebec's ratio of voters to MPs becomes the benchmark. Any provinces more populous than Quebec - Ontario is the only one - would not enjoy the full benefits.
In 2021, Ontario's share of the national population is expected to reach 40.4 per cent while its share of seats will be 35.6 per cent, an under-representation of 4.8 percentage points or 12 per cent. The Ontario under-representation in 2011 is projected at 4.3 percentage points. By that year, the new distribution would mean the average constituency in Ontario would have 115,299 voters. That compares with the average constituency in Quebec, which would have 104,552 voters, the average constituency in Alberta with 105,551 voters, and the average constituency in British Columbia with 105,698 voters.
"The Ontario government is surprised and disappointed that the federal government has chosen to weaken the voting rights of Ontarians," Mr. McGuinty said. "That is why our government will take all necessary measures to halt this constitutional amendment."
Nor is Quebec pleased with the proposed redistribution. All three parties in the National Assembly have unanimously adopted a motion calling on the House of Commons to oppose the legislation.
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe pointed to a letter yesterday from B.C. Conservative MP James Moore that says British Columbia and Alberta currently have 62 seats in Parliament between them while Quebec has 75 seats. Under the new distribution, says the letter from Mr. Moore to his constituents, "British Columbia and Alberta will have a combined 76 seats while Quebec will continue to have 75 seats."
That rankled the Bloc Leader. "From now on, Alberta and B.C. will have more than Quebec," he said. "It seems that it was the goal of the whole thing."
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, on the other hand, applauded the legislation, saying it recognizes his province's growing population.
The plan would eventually add 22 seats to the Commons, all of them in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Ontario would get 10, British Columbia seven and Alberta five. Those seats would probably come into play around 2014.
No province, save Ontario, will have a gap of more than one percentage point between its seat allotment and its share of the national population.