Bill C-318

1st Session, 39th Parliament,

55 Elizabeth II, 2006

house of commons of canada

BILL C-318

An Act to provide for a House of Commons committee to study proportional representation in federal elections

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the Proportional Representation Review Act.

2. The definitions in this section apply in this Act.

“Minister” means the member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada designated by the Governor in Council for the purposes of the Canada Elections Act.

“proportional representation” means an election process that provides for the allocation of some of the seats in a legislative body or chamber to members democratically designated by parties so that the overall proportion of seats held in the body or chamber by each party approximates to the proportion of votes cast for the party on a national basis.

“Proportional Representation Committee” means the standing committee of the House of Commons designated under section 3.

3. Within 30 sitting days after the coming into force of this Act, the Minister shall, by a motion in the House of Commons, propose that a standing committee of the House, designated therein,

(a) conduct a process of public consultation on the question of whether the electoral process for membership of the House of Commons should include the principle of proportional representation;

(b) conduct public hearings in every province and territory as part of the public consultation;

(c) study election systems outside Canada that include an element of proportional representation; and

(d) report to the House of Commons with recommendations within 180 days of adoption of the motion by the House.

4. If the Proportional Representation Committee report provided for in paragraph 3(d) endorses an electoral system based on proportional representation, the Proportional Representation Committee shall include in its report a draft question to be put to the electors of Canada, in a referendum to be held in accordance with section 6, which asks whether the present system of electing members of the House of Commons should be replaced with a proportional representation system as set out in the question.

5. Upon concurrence by the House of Commons with the Proportional Representa-tion Committee’s report and proposed referendum question, the Minister shall, within 30 sitting days after the concurrence, table in the House of Commons a detailed plan by which the government will inform electors of the report and the referendum question with sufficient information to allow electors to make an informed decision when voting in the referendum to be held in accordance with section 6.

6. Where a referendum question is approved by the House of Commons, the Governor in Council shall, by proclamation issued in the manner provided for in section 3 of the Referendum Act, direct that the opinion of electors be obtained on the question, by putting the question to the electors of Canada at a referendum to be held on the date of the next general election of members of the House of Commons.