The Ballot - March 2007
Welcome to the March issue of the Ballot!
In this issue:
From the Chair
The Assembly is now halfway through its Deliberation Phase and I’m pleased to report that they have successfully made a number of decisions on the way to forming their recommendation for the future of Ontario’s electoral system.
In three weekend meetings Assembly members discussed what they heard during the Consultation Phase, established their priority objectives, and selected and designed two working models of alternatives to our current electoral system, Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV).
Though they’re nearing the end of the process Assembly members have their most challenging decisions ahead of them: What is the best design for each of the two alternative systems? Which is their preferred alternative? Should they recommend that Ontario keep its current system or change to a new one?
At the next meeting, the Assembly will put the finishing touches on the systems they are designing and then choose a preferred alternative. The meeting after that, April 14-15, will see Assembly members debate the merits of their preferred alternative against our current system and come to a decision about what to recommend to the people of Ontario.
I hope you will continue to follow the process to completion.
George Thomson
The Deliberation Phase Continues
Just three weekend meetings remain. Visit our site for a detailed schedule of what’s to come.
| 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 |
Assembly meetings are held at York University’s Osgoode Hall (Keele Campus) in Toronto. *Please note that Weekend 5 meetings will be held at 900 Bay Street (Queen's Park Complex) in Toronto. All meetings are open to the public.
Don’t forget to visit TVO’s Citizens’ Assembly micro-site to access video of Assembly meetings, reports on public consultation meetings, member profiles and more.
The Assembly’s final report is due May 15, 2007.
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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