Introduction of the Expanded Voting Opportunities Bill (C-55)

May 9, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Good afternoon. Today is day 3 of the week devoted by Canada’s New Government to strengthening accountability through democratic reform.

Monday, we sent out invitations to the 1st birthday party of the Bill to limit the terms of Senators. It’s been delayed and obstructed by the Liberal Senate for almost a year now. For those of you who didn’t get one, the party is on May 30th.

Yesterday, we introduced new legislation to regulate all loans made to political parties, candidates and associations.

And today, we are moving forward to address the overall decline in voter turnout in Canada.

The right to vote is our most precious and fundamental right.

Citizen participation in the political process, through the exercise of the right to vote, is the cornerstone of our democracy. Accountable, responsible government is strengthened when citizens vote.

Voting is perhaps the easiest and most important form of civic engagement.

By making the decision to vote, Canadians take ownership in their country. The very act of voting engages them in the future of their country and their community, as they reflect on the decision they must make, and then take that decision.

It is that very kind of engagement that transforms individuals into citizens.

It is the building block that leads to broader community involvement and civic engagement – everything from running the kids’ minor hockey league, to organizing a tree-planting and ravine clean-up.

Voter participation in elections has been in decline in recent years.

In 1958, 79.4% of Canadians voted in that year’s General election. However, that fell to 69.6% of eligible voters by 1993, and by 2004, only 60.5% of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Unfortunately, young people vote at even lower rates than previous generations. In fact, in the 2000 election, only about 25 per cent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 voted.

We need to get more young people to vote. The young political interns behind me are the exception. They are passionate about the political process in Canada. We want to see more Canadians, young and old, engaged in the process.

Why? Because we understand that the one true method for citizens to hold their governments to account is through the ballot box.

Today, we are acting to strengthen accountability by providing a modern, realistic, and effective way to increase voter turn-out in Canada.

We know that many Canadians say that the time pressures of school, work and family commitments make it hard for them to find the time to cast a ballot on Election Day.

At the same time, Canadians have shown that they appreciate the convenience of advance voting and voters have increasingly made use of the opportunity to vote at advance polls.

In fact, the use of advance polls doubled between the 1997 election and the 2006 election. And we know from European examples, that having polls open on Sunday results in a higher turnout.

As part of Canada’s New Government’s agenda to strengthen accountability and democracy, we are introducing legislation entitled: Expanded Voting Opportunities.

The Expanded Voting Opportunities bill adds two advance polling days. One is on Sunday, the eighth day before Election Day. The other is on Sunday, the day before Election Day.

The Sunday before Election Day will be a special advance poll.

All polling stations used for the general voting day will be open on the last advance polling day, not just the limited number of stations used for the other advance polling days.

That means that Canadians will now have the choice of voting on Election Day, which is a Monday, or on Sunday, the day before Election Day. Or earlier at the four other advance polls.

This will mean all Canadians will have an opportunity to vote at an advance poll on a Sunday right in their own neighbourhood.

For many Canadians, Sunday is a day without work or school commitments, making it easier to vote.

What’s more, we hope that families will bring their children with them when they go to vote – helping them to appreciate from an early age the civic duty and opportunity to cast a vote, and to understand what it means to be a citizen in a free and democratic country.

These are lessons that, if well taught, last a lifetime, build stronger communities and make a brighter future for Canada.

If we fail to act to address declining voter participation, we run the risk that Canadians will become increasingly disconnected. If so, the business of government will become less democratic.

For democracy to work, it must be the property of all – not just a place for narrow interests to pursue their own agenda.

That’s why it’s important for more Canadians to participate in the democratic process.

Voter participation is fundamental to the health of our democratic institutions and Canada’s New Government is doing all it can to encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process.

The Expanded Voting Opportunities Bill gives busy, hardworking Canadians additional opportunities to vote so that they can hold their government accountable.

This modern, realistic, and effective legislation is another building block in our government’s ambitious agenda to improve democratic institutions and strengthen democracy in Canada.

Thank you.

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