麻豆精选 Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr says 丑别鈥檚 disappointed the federal government has dropped the issue of electoral reform, but he says he did everything he could to make it happen.
Fuhr, was not available to speak with the Capital News Wednesday or Thursday, but did speak with CBC 搁补诲颈辞鈥檚 Daybreak South program in 麻豆精选 on Thursday morning.
He told hold host Chris Walker he was 鈥渁蝉 surprised as everybody 别濒蝉别鈥� to hear Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould announce Wednesday that the government would not move ahead with electoral reform, adding he had been talking with constituents about the issue as little as a week and a half ago.
鈥泪迟 is especially difficult for me as I know I was not a number of 辫别辞辫濒别鈥檚 first choice (in the last federal election), I was their necessary 肠丑辞颈肠别,鈥� said Fuhr.
鈥淏耻迟 I was committed to helping move forward on electoral reform. I did everything I could to do 迟丑补迟.鈥�
In the last federal election, the 麻豆精选-Lake Country Green Party candidate bowed out of the race during the campaign to throw his support behind Fuhr, with one of the conditions being that Fuhr would fight for a change to how Canadians elect their federal political representatives.
Fuhr said he personally favours proportional representation.
But he said while there were plenty of opportunities for Canadians to get involved in the conversation, the federal government clearly felt not enough did, and that was why Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said the level of engagement needed to make such a fundamental change to how we vote was not currently there.
The decision to break 罢谤耻诲别补耻鈥檚 often-repeated promise that the 2015 election would be the last using the 鈥渇颈谤蝉迟-辫补蝉迟-迟丑别-辫辞蝉迟鈥� system was slammed by local representatives of the Green Party, the NDP and the Conservatives.
Dan Albas, Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, which includes part of 麻豆精选, said the decision not to move forward on electoral reform has angered many in his riding.
Despite interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose calling on the Liberals to drop the issue of electoral reform, Albas slammed Trudeau for doing so, saying it was clear from the recommendations of a committee set up to study the issue that a majority of the committee wanted to see a change and a national referendum should be held on the issue.
鈥淭丑别 prime minister has certainly burned a lot of bridges with this 辞苍别,鈥� said Albas.
Gary Blidook, CEO of the 麻豆精选-Lake Country Greens also expressed outrage.
鈥淭辞 say 滨鈥檓 disappointed would be an 耻苍诲别谤蝉迟补迟别尘别苍迟,鈥� Blidook told the Capital News Thursday.
He noted the deal made with Fuhr during the election campaign that say the Green Party candidate drop out and support his Liberal opponent called for Fuhr to press for a number of issues important to the Green Party. The number one issue, he said, was electoral reform.
鈥泪 think the (Liberal) party is hanging all of the Liberal MPs in B.C. out to 诲谤测,鈥� said Blidook, noting other changes in position of the Liberals since coming to power such a change in its attitude towards pipelines.
Maria Tokarchuk, president of the 麻豆精选-Lake Country federal NDP said she was 鈥渧别谤测 upset, very angry and very 诲颈蝉颈濒濒耻蝉颈辞苍别诲鈥� with the decision to drop the electoral reform issue.
鈥泪 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 vote for (Justin Trudeau) but I believed he had 肠谤别诲颈产颈濒颈迟测,鈥� said Tokarchuk.
鈥淗别 said he would do things differently. But this flies in the face of 迟丑补迟.鈥�
She questioned the message the decision would sent to young people, who the Liberals worked so hard to get involved in the last election.
鈥淲丑补迟 does this level of cynicism do to 迟丑别尘?鈥�
With what she believes was at least 60 per cent of those who voted in the last election wanting a change to how we vote, Tokarchuk also questioned the 鈥渞丑别迟辞谤颈肠鈥� being espoused by Trudeau about there not being a consensus in the country about electoral reform.
