OTTAWA– Liberals today put forward one possible proposal for seat redistribution that, unlike the wrong-headed and wasteful plan proposed by the Conservative government, puts fairness and fiscal responsibility at the forefront.
“When Stephen Harper was in opposition, he led the charge for a smaller House of Commons,” said Liberal Critic for Intergovernmental Affairs and Democratic Reform Stéphane Dion. “Now that he is in government, he wants to add more seats while he slashes government jobs, programs and services.”
As a Reform Party MP, Stephen Harper declared that, “a smaller House offers considerable cost savings,” and that, “Canadians are already among the most overrepresented people in the world.” The Conservative government’s Bill C-20, currently before Parliament, would expand the number of seats in the House of Commons from the current 308 to 338.
The Liberals believe that House of Commons seat allocation can be rebalanced without increasing the number of seats to meet the needs of provinces with significant population growth while maintaining the proportionate representation in other provinces. This proposal is intended to show that seat redistribution can be done fairly and efficiently, despite the Conservative’s needless fearmongering.
“In these tough economic times, the government must take the lead in showing financial restraint,” said Liberal House Leader Marc Garneau. “Surely the government could come up with a similar plan for seat redistribution that would ensure fair representation for the provinces and territories without committing to an endless expansion of the size of our national legislature.”
Background:
For more information, please visit: http://www.liberal.ca/files/2011/11/Seat-Distribution-Tables_EN.pdf
