Advocating for Better Democracy

Every 10 years our electoral boundaries are adjusted based on some basic population data with various exceptions and grandfather clauses. Which has resulted in a recommendation that means Ontario residents have far less of a voice in our democracy than any other province. And Toronto (Scarborough) is losing a seat. So I signed up to give an oral presentation today to the commission. Remarks are below for those that care about public policy and trying to enhance our democracy.

My name is Andrea Barrack and I’m a long time resident of the province, having grown up in small town southwestern Ontario and having lived the last 20 years in Toronto.?Not only am I sensitive to the urban rural issues at play in this conversation, I was also the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the most recent provincial election, seeking the seat in a very diverse urban riding.?I have literally knocked in this past year on tens of thousands of doors to hear directly from residents about their concerns.

I am here today to address two pressing and related issues – the erosion of public confidence and participation in democracy and the ability of local representatives to address the complex urban issues faced in this province.

In Canada we like to brag that we are different from the US in that we have a nonpartisan commission that determines electoral boundaries, rather than the gerrymandering efforts that seek to thwart democracy. While this is true and laudable, we still have a byzantine system of rules and carve outs that effectively leaves Ontario as the most underrepresented province in the federation.??

I recognize that this is beyond the scope of this particular commission, except that it creates the conditions in which we are now debating how to divide up an unfair pie.?I would also note that the rules of engagement are set by parliament and therefore are necessarily political in nature. Given the fact that Ontario has only been given one additional seat for an additional 1.3 million in population, the commission has had a tough task to distribute the scraps.

While I am grateful for this work and effort, and acknowledge the balancing act that is required, I believe that the draft has erred in removing a seat from Toronto, Scarborough in particular.?Toronto is one of the fastest growing populations and one of the most diverse, representing over 200 distinct ethnic origins, including the largest indigenous population in Ontario.?We are the future face of Canada.

While these are facts to be proud of, that context also means that the residents of Toronto often have unique and disproportionate needs for government to support, including settlement services and immigration, healthcare and education, affordable housing and transit.?These are needs that are both constant and dynamic.?These needs require solutions and attention from our elected officials.?

When I was canvassing earlier this year, I had countless examples of people struggling to find a healthcare provider, or a place to live or a job that pays a decent wage.?I heard about transit pressures and cost of living and climate change.?But most of all I heard from people that they no longer feel that governments at all levels are responsive to their needs and their concerns.?I believe that is why in our last provincial election we saw a record low turnout of voters.?

Electoral boundaries and the number of representatives in Toronto are only a small piece of the issue, but this latest draft exacerbates rather than solves the problems of public confidence in democracy and the ability of elected representatives to truly advocate for their constituents.?

On behalf of the many residents whose doors I knocked on in this amazing and diverse city I would ask that this commission not diminish them based on the fact that they have chosen to contribute to Canada by living in Toronto.