Shame on Tory: old guard continues disinformation on the eve of the MMP referendum

    TORONTO, Oct. 9 /CNW/ - An email circulated yesterday by the Ontario PC
Party continues to spread disinformation about the upcoming electoral reform
referendum.
    "I am disappointed to see John Tory embrace the old guard's defense of
the status quo as he campaigns to offer 'new leadership' to Ontarians," said
Larry Gordon, campaign manager of Vote for MMP.
    The Ontario PC Party email says the at-large candidates will be
"appointed from lists submitted by leaders and political parties."

    THE FACTS:

    The email fails to note that in all countries using MMP, the parties use
democratic nominations processes for selecting their at-large candidates. More
importantly, all four Ontario parties, including the Ontario PC Party, have
already stated that they will use democratic nominations processes to select
their candidates appearing on the at-large candidates lists.
    The Ontario PC Party email goes to say the at-large representatives "will
not have direct responsibility for any area and not be accountable to any
constituents."

    THE FACTS:

    At-large representatives have the full set of responsibilities of any
elected representative. In countries using MMP, many also open constituency
offices in areas where their party does not have riding representatives, in
order to serve their party's constituents. The at-large representatives work
hard to represent their constituencies - those who voted for their party.
    The real reason the old guard opposes MMP is that it increases the power
of voters by giving them more choice on the ballot, through separate votes for
a local candidate and a party, and by delivering fair election results in
which parties gain the number of seats they actually deserve, no more and no
less.
    Mixed member proportional usually creates election results that are
fairer, perhaps the more likely reason for old guard opposition. Party leaders
would be forced to negotiate and compromise in coalitions, in contrast to the
current system in which a single party and leader usually gains majority
control of the legislature without majority voter support. Since the early
1940s, every majority government in Ontario was formed by a single party that
the majority voted against.
    "It is ironic to see the old guard saying that electoral reform - which
gives voters more choice, fairer results and stronger representation - is not
in the interest of voters," said Gordon. "Of course, the group most threatened
by democratic reform is the old guard itself."

    Vote for MMP is a multi-partisan citizens' campaign supporting the mixed
member proportional (MMP) voting system proposed by the Ontario Citizens'
Assembly on Electoral Reform.

For further information: Steve Withers, Media Coordinator: (519)
282-1078, steve.withers@VoteForMMP.ca