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If the Liberals really are sincere about reforming the system, then they owe it to Canadians to hold a national referendum. By and large, lawmaking is best done by the people’s elected representatives. But when the issue is how those representatives are to be elected, the decision should fall to the people themselves, since the legitimacy of any democratic system rests ultimately on the consent of the governed. Trudeau deserves some credit for campaigning openly to dismantle first-past-the-post, but he never offered a definitive replacement and the issue was barely discussed or debated.

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Put simply, the Canadian people have not yet had their say. There is ample precedent in favour of dealing with electoral reform by way of referendum. Prince Edward Island went directly to the people in 2005, Ontario did the same in 2007, and British Columbia had a double referendum in 2005 and 2009. In each case, a clear choice was presented to the people and in each case, the end result was the same: over 60 per cent of the electorate voted to keep first-past-the-post.

The Liberals might have better luck on the national stage or they might get the same supermajority in favour of the status quo. If they lose, they will be lauded as good democrats and will still be in a position to seek a second majority. All told, it might not be the worst outcome for “Canada’s Natural Governing Party.”

National Post

Asher Honickman is a Toronto-based lawyer and president of the Advocates for the Rule of Law, a legal think tank.