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Democracy at Work Democracy at work: THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM a record of Ontario’s first citizens’ assembly process the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly Secretariat DEMOCRACY AT WORK: THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM A RECORD OF ONTARIO’S FIRST CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY PROCESS THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT Please visit the Citizens’ Assembly website www.citizensassembly.gov.on.ca to download this report. Also posted on the website is the Assembly’s final report, One Ballot, Two Votes: A New Way to Vote in Ontario, and information on electoral systems and the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly. To order a copy of these reports, contact Publications Ontario at www.publications.gov.on.ca. Phone orders can be placed at 1-800-668-9938, TTY-only toll free, 1-800-268-7095. Disponible en français. Photos: Ben Li, Raw Edge Photography Democracy at Work: THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM May 2007 Dear Minister Bountrogianni: I am pleased to submit Democracy at Work: The Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. This report complements One Ballot, Two Votes: A New Way to Vote in Ontario, the Assembly’s final report and recommendation. Democracy at Work documents the Citizens’ Assembly process in detail and describes the Mixed Member Proportional electoral system the Assembly has recommended. I hope it will assist individuals and organizations interested in citizen engagement, electoral reform, or both. I also believe that a report of this nature is a fitting conclusion to a uniquely transparent process. Democracy at Work was prepared by the Citizens’ Assembly Secretariat that supported the Assembly in its work, with input from Assembly members. I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Secretariat team for their talent, energy, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Most of all, I would like to thank the 103 extraordinary citizens who served as Assembly members. The process documented here is their process and their legacy. George Thomson Chair Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform A record of the process for Ontario’s first citizens’ assembly i CONTENTS PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 1. ONTARIO’S FIRST CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY | 2 [ Find out how this new model of citizen engagement was different from anything Ontario had tried before – and why it made sense to use it to examine our electoral system. ] 2. MEMBERS AND THE CHAIR | 4 [ Get to know the members of Ontario’s first Citizens’ Assembly. ] 3. PURPOSES OF THIS REPORT AND HOW TO USE IT | 31 [ It was important to document the Citizens’ Assembly process every step of the way. Find out where to look in this report for the information that interests you most. ] 4. ORIGINS OF THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY | 32 [ How it all began. ] PART II: GETTING STARTED 35 5. PLANNING | 36 [ Nothing like this had ever been tried in Ontario. How to do it? From concepts to the smallest detail, planning was the key. ] 6. SELECTION PROCESS | 42 [ How 103 randomly selected people became the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly. ] 7. MEMBER ORIENTATION | 49 [ Before the selection process was over, the Secretariat team made plans to prepare the members for the task ahead and considered ideas on how to support them all the way through. ] PART III: LEARNING, CONSULTATION, AND DELIBERATION 55 8. LEARNING PHASE | 56 [ The members needed to make an informed decision, and they were ready and eager to rise to the challenge of learning about electoral systems. The learning team worked hard to plan and deliver an intensive program drawing on the best expertise available. ] WEEKEND ONE (September 9/10, 2006) | 60 Day One |61 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 61 A record of the process for Ontario’s first citizens’ assembly iii CONTENTS Plenary Session: Working Together – Shared Values and Rules of Procedure | 63 Group Discussions: Working Together – Shared Values and Rules of Procedure | 63 Plenary Session: Report Back and Approval of Shared Values for Working Together | 64 Plenary Session: Overview of Learning Phase and Learning Materials | 64 Plenary Session: Overview of Plans for Public Consultation | 66 Plenary Session: Evaluation and Surveys | 66 Day Two |66 Plenary Session: Approval of Rules of Procedure | 66 Plenary Session: Voting Simulations | 66 Plenary Session: What Are Electoral Systems? | 67 Group Discussions: What Should Elections Accomplish? | 67 Plenary Session: Report Back on What Elections Should Accomplish | 67 WEEKEND TWO (September 30/October 1, 2006) | 68 Day One |68 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 68 Plenary Session: Creation of Working Groups and Advisory Committees | 69 Plenary Session: The Structure and Functions of Our Legislature | 69 Group Discussions: How Are We Represented? | 69 Plenary Session: The Role and Function of Parties and Their Relationship to Electoral Systems | 70 Group Discussions: Parties and Electoral Systems | 70 Plenary Session: Panel Discussion on the Work World of the Legislature | 70 Day Two |70 Plenary Session: Relating Principles to Designing Electoral Systems | 70 Group Discussions: Relating Principles to Designing Electoral Systems | 70 Plenary Session: The Consultation Process | 71 Students’ Assembly on Electoral Reform | 72 WEEKEND THREE (October 14/15, 2006) | 72 Day One |73 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 73 Plenary Session: Approval of Consultation Plan and Consultation Guide | 73 Plenary Session: Electoral Systems – What They Are | 74 Group Discussions: Electoral Systems | 74 Plenary Sessions: Plurality Systems and Majority Systems | 74 Group Discussions: Plurality Systems and Majority Systems | 74 Democracy at Work: THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM iv CONTENTS Day Two |74 Plenary Session: Principles and Characteristics of the Single Member Plurality (SMP) System | 74 Panel Discussion: Understanding Ontario’s SMP System | 75 WEEKEND FOUR (October 28/29, 2006) | 75 Day One |75 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 75 Plenary Sessions: Proportional Systems and Single Transferable Vote System | 75 Group Discussions: Proportional Systems and Single Transferable Vote System | 75 Consultation Meeting Simulations | 75 Day Two |76 Plenary Session: Mixed Systems | 76 Group Discussion: Mixed Systems | 76 Plenary Session: “Taking Stock” | 76 WEEKEND FIVE (November 11/12, 2006) | 77 Day One |77 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 77 Plenary Sessions with Experts on Electoral Systems | 77 Day Two |78 Plenary Session: Principles Exercise | 78 Group Discussions: Preliminary Weighing of the Principles | 78 Plenary Session: Report Back on Preliminary Weighing of the Principles | 78 WEEKEND SIX (November 25/26, 2006) | 79 Day One |79 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 79 Plenary Session: Simulated Election: Mixed Systems | 80 Plenary Session: Working Group Presentations | 80 Plenary Session: Mixed Systems: Simulated Election Results | 80 Plenary Session: Mixed Systems: Other Variables | 80 Group Discussions: Mixed Systems | 81 Plenary Session: Simulated Election: Single Transferable Vote | 81 Day Two |82 Plenary Session: Single Transferable Vote: Simulated Election Results | 82 Group Discussions: Single Transferable Vote | 82 Plenary Session: Working Group Presentations | 82 A record of the process for Ontario’s first citizens’ assembly v CONTENTS 9. CONSULTATION PHASE | 84 [ The Assembly members knew that they had to choose the best electoral system for all of Ontario. They had to know what other Ontarians were thinking and needed to get as many people as possible involved in this unprecedented conversation. ] 10. DELIBERATION PHASE | 93 [ How the Assembly grappled with the issues and arrived at a decision. ] WEEKEND ONE (February 17/18, 2007) | 93 Day One |94 Plenary Session: Open Forum | 94 Plenary Session: The Changing Face of Ontario | 98 Plenary Session: Review of the Consultation Phase | 99 Plenary Session: The Students’ Assembly on Electoral Reform | 101 Plenary Session: Approval of the Deliberation Plan | 101 Plenary Session: Preparing for the Task Ahead – Identifying Objectives | 101 Group Discussions: Objectives in Designing Electoral Systems | 103 Plenary Session: Report Back on Objectives in Designing Electoral Systems | 103 Day Two | 104 Plenary Session: Selecting an Electoral System to Design | 104 Group Discussions: Selecting an Electoral System to Design | 105 Plenary Session: Report Back on Selecting an Electoral System to Design | 105 Plenary Session: Preparing for Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) System Design Decisions | 106 WEEKEND TWO (March 3/4, 2007) | 106 Day One | 106 Plenary Session: Open Forum and Setting the Stage for Designing an MMP System | 106 Group Discussions: Primary MMP Design Decisions | 108 Plenary Session: Report Back on Primary MMP Design Decisions | 108 Group Discussions: Secondary MMP Design Decisions | 108 Plenary Session: Report Back on Secondary MMP Design Decisions | 109 Day Two | 110 Plenary Session: Review of MMP Working Model | 110 Plenary Session: Selecting a Second System to Design | 110 Plenary Session: Preparing for Single Transferable Vote (STV) Design Decisions | 111 Democracy at Work: THE ONTARIO CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON ELECTORAL REFORM vi CONTENTS WEEKEND THREE (March 17/18, 2007) | 111 Day One | 111 Plenary Session: Open Forum and Setting the Stage for Designing an STV System | 111 Plenary Session: STV Design Decisions | 112 Group Discussions: STV Design Decisions | 113 Plenary Session: Report Back on STV Design Decisions | 113 Plenary Session: Outstanding Secondary MMP Design Decisions | 115 Group Discussions: Outstanding Secondary MMP Design Decisions | 115 Plenary
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