The Ballot - January 2007
Welcome to the January issue of The Ballot!
In this issue:
From the Chair
For my fellow Assembly members and me, attending consultation meetings these last two months has been like an extension of the Learning Phase. Listening to the viewpoints of Ontarians has given us a great deal to think about as we prepare for our deliberations. The opinions we heard are as diverse as Ontarians themselves.
Looking ahead to the Deliberation Phase, my role will be that of a facilitator who will help the Assembly come to a decision that takes into account everything they learned and heard. To that end I’ve spent a lot of time putting together a plan for the Deliberation Phase for Assembly members to review.
Continuing our transparent process, deliberation proceedings will be open to the public, and a detailed schedule will be made available shortly. I hope you will continue to participate in this process not only by following the Assembly’s decision making process, but by spreading the word in your communities so everyone will have a chance to understand the Assembly process before a decision is made.
George Thomson
The Consultation Phase is Complete!
The Consultation Phase began in late November and ends on January 31st. In that period the Assembly hosted more than 40 public meetings across the province. More than 2,000 people attended the meetings where about 500 people made formal and informal presentations.
Some presenters spoke in favour or against our current system, others recommended systems used elsewhere in the world while some came up with their own customized solutions for Ontario. Visit our site to read summaries of public meetings and find out what your fellow Ontarians had to say about the future of Ontario’s electoral system.
Deliberation Begins in February
The Deliberation Phase begins in February. Assembly members will travel to Toronto to attend six weekend meetings at York University’s Osgoode Hall where they will work together to form their recommendation for Ontario’s electoral system. A high-level schedule for the phase follows; a detailed schedule will be posted on our site soon.
| February 17 – 18, 2007 |
Context, Priorities & Selecting Systems to Design |
| March 3 – 4, 2007 |
Designing Alternative Systems – Part 1 |
| March 17 – 18, 2007 |
Designing Alternative Systems – Part 2 |
| March 31 – April 1, 2007 |
Assessing the Models |
| April 14 – 15, 2007 |
Final Decisions |
| April 28 – 29, 2007 |
Conclusion |
New on our Site
New content is being added to the Citizens’ Assembly website every week. Recently launched areas include:
Contact Us
Questions or comments about The Ballot? Send an e-mail to: theballot@citizensassembly.gov.on.ca.