Yes: a real chance to elect MPP
Proposed new system of election renews hope
For more than 30 years, our efforts within right-to-life organizations have been directed towards passing a federal law recognizing the rights of the unborn. Individuals, organizations and churches have been working on different aspects of this cultural war: activism, education, political involvement and the spiritual. Since the law on abortion was a federal law, most efforts have been directed towards Ottawa.
However, we can make incremental efforts to give life a chance provincially, since healthcare is a provincial responsibility. To achieve this objective, we need to change the very culture of our province, from a culture of promiscuous sex causing death to a culture of life.
The FCP has identified more than a dozen policies to incrementally limit abortion, from supporting pregnant women and promoting adoption, to informed consent and parental consent.
After good efforts in the 1987 and 1990 elections, many pro-lifers seemed to give up and go back to the old parties, in the hope of electing pro-life politicians.
In May, things improved considerably for the pro-life cause with the release of a report specifying the mixed-member proportional system of election for Ontario. This system will be voted in a referendum on Oct. 10, which pro-lifers should support. It may allow a pro-life, pro-family voice at Queen’s Park and should create a real possibility of a pro-life party to be part of a government majority coalition.
The media have constantly ignored us and other groups deemed politically incorrect. The new system will finally give a fair chance to those who value and promote life and family and let their voices be heard.
People in power will not be courting the most vocal groups or what is presented as “majority opinion” by the media, but the actual votes of every person in Ontario.
There are many reasons why the new system, if approved, will be more representative, fairer and more democratic than the current one. For detailed arguments about the merits of the new system, please refer to material you can download from the www.FamilyCoalitionParty.com website.
With the new system of election, you will have two votes on the ballot: one for a local candidate and one for the political party of your choice.
There will be 90 members elected in local ridings, representing local interests, and 39 members elected from party lists, representing the ideology and policies of political parties.
While there may be some pro-life candidates running for a different political party in one of the 90 local ridings, the FCP is the only choice for people of faith among the parties contending for the 39 party seats. The official policies of all other Ontario parties are against life and family values, as a brochure available on the www.ccicinc.org website shows.
With 39 candidates elected according to the party list, counting all the votes across Ontario, the chances will be very good for smaller parties, such as the FCP, to elect representatives to the Ontario Legislature based on the party’s popular vote support. Votes for the FCP will count, even from those ridings where our candidate did not win or where we could not run a local candidate.
While a minimum of 3 per cent support will be required, the FCP should garner a much higher percentage, as finally the “silent majority” of people of faith will know that their vote for the FCP is not “wasted.”
In 1990, a dozen FCP candidates obtained over 8 per cent of the popular vote, but none was elected. Where the FCP ran candidates, it obtained about 5 per cent of the popular vote. Under the new system, a 5 per cent support across Ontario will result in the election of at least six members of the FCP to Queen’s Park.
FCP representatives elected to the Legislature would raise awareness of pro-life, pro-family issues to a new degree and, in case they were asked to join a coalition majority government, would request an immediate defunding of abortion in Ontario, in return for their support.
Inform yourself about the new system before making a judgement. For more information, go to the FCP website or call us. Please do not make the error of superficially discounting the new system because of hearsay, fear of change or because of the propaganda that undoubtedly will be distributed by those who do not want to rock the boat or believe that we have “social peace” on abortion.
This a historic time to empower people and make all votes count. Vote “yes” for electoral change.
Giuseppe Gori is leader of the Family Coalition Party of Ontario.
