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I'm really happy for the chance to speak today to Bill 166, the Toronto Ranked Ballot Elections
Act. I want to thank the member from Scarborough--Guildwood for bringing this bill forward. The bill we're
debating here today, as you know, is a response to a request that was made by the majority
of Toronto city councillors, who asked for the legislative tools from the province to
allow them to move forward to explore alternative voting options; specifically, this issue of
ranked ballot voting.
I also want to thank people who have come into the galleries today for being here. It
might not seem like it's very full, but there are in fact more people here today than there
usually are in the galleries, and I think that's a good thing. By a show of hands—of
course, through the Speaker—I'd like to know how many people are here for the first
time today. That's awesome. That's fantastic. Again, through the Speaker, I would like to
welcome you and thank you for being here today. I think that's great.
As we know, proponents of electoral reform have identified that there are real problems
in our city and in politics in our city, and they suggest that a ranked ballot voting system
could change how we elect our representatives and begin to transform the political culture
in Toronto, which I believe is important. Proponents say that ranked choice runoff ballots
could help eliminate vote splitting and reduce strategic voting. It would ensure majority
support for winning candidates, it would discourage negative campaigning and it would provide
more choices for voters. All of these are important objectives, and they're goals I
agree with, because it's clear to me that we see increased cynicism about politics,
not just in Toronto but in Ontario and right across the country, and that's something we
need to address.
I think people are cynical for a good reason. I think people see that the system is not
working very well for them. They see scandal after scandal. They see too many politicians
who put their own interests first. They see a system that's broken, that's been underfunded,
that's been privatized and that continues to put profit before people. They see a system
that delivers only for the most privileged. It delivers for those who are well connected.
Well-connected insiders come first, while too many people are left outside in the cold.
People feel too often that politics happens to them. It happens somewhere else—somebody
else is involved—but it doesn't happen with you, and that's a problem.
But I think there are hopeful signs. I know that down the street at Toronto city hall,
many people—some of the same people who are here today in the gallery—have been
working to change the political culture in our city. I know that municipal politics often
feel closer to the ground and closer to the people, and I know from experience that Toronto
city council—Toronto city hall—does feel more open and more accessible to people. Too
often this place, which was named for the Queen, feels more like a castle. We forget
that this is our building. It belongs to the people of this province. It's intimidating
to enter—you might have found that when you came here today—and it's difficult to
participate here. You probably noticed that you weren't allowed to bring your telephone
in and you're not even allowed to write notes here in the gallery. I think all of that is
problematic.
But it's different at Toronto city hall. People are more engaged, I believe, and they are
connecting with their politicians in different ways. They've asked them to examine new ways
to run elections in Toronto. That's why in June 2013, a majority of city councillors
voted to ask the province for the tools to reform their electoral system. That motion
was supported by city councillors from right across the political spectrum. It was supported
by New Democrats like Mike Layton and Gord Perks, in the west end of Toronto; by Davenport
Liberals like Anna Bãilao and Cesar Palacio; by Conservatives like Karen Stintz and Gary
Crawford. People from across the spectrum supported this motion, and I hope that all
parties here today and all members will also support the bill that's been raised today.
I've heard from many residents in my community, my riding of Davenport, people who have been
inspired by the RaBIT campaign and who have asked for change and who want change. That's
why, on February 25, I introduced a private member's bill that would allow Toronto to
proceed with electoral reform.
Applause.
Thank you. It's why I'm happy to stand here today on behalf of residents of my riding
of Davenport to support Bill 166, because residents of Toronto have the right to have
this discussion, to have this debate and to make a decision; because we need people in
this city to know that their voice matters. We need people in this city and across Ontario
to remember that politics matter, that they deserve real choices, that they deserve to
have their voice and their vote count, and that they deserve to have a politics that
really does put people first.
I believe that we can have a positive politics in this city and right across the province
of Ontario. I believe that we can have political representatives who strive to represent the
complexities of the communities that they serve; and that we can have a political system
where politicians earn their mandate and are supported by a majority of the electorate.
We can do better, and I believe we deserve the chance to do better. That's why I'll be
supporting Bill 166 today.