Since the beginning of 2025, I've been honoured to be part of the Shadow Cabinet for the Green Party of Canada. The governing party has a cabinet, and each opposition party has a similar group of people ready to respond. On Shadow Cabinet, I am the Critic for Democratic Reform.
To give a sense of where my priorities are, here are six areas where we ought to focus so that our democracy regains and maintains health. I'll expand on two today, and follow up later this week with the others.
The Notwithstanding Clause (published on March 10th)
Voting Age (published on March 10th)
Technology
Electoral & Ballot Reform
Foreign Interference (coming on March 14th)
Our Media (coming on March 14th)
Technology The rapid advancement of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs), poses opportunities and challenges for democratic processes. I call for the establishment of an all-party standing committee to study the impacts of these technologies on elections. Investigations would explore emerging technologies, and their potential to enhance voter education and participation while addressing risks such as misinformation, algorithmic bias, and data security. We cannot wait for the effects of an emerging technology before we consider the impacts that it may have!
Electoral & Ballot Reform Canada’s first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system fails to reflect the diversity of voter preferences, often leading to distorted outcomes. The Green Party and I continue to advocate for a citizen’s assembly to study and recommend alternatives to FPTP, such as proportional representation. This process would ensure that any proposed reforms are informed by public conversation and align with our values of participatory democracy and social justice. The process would begin with regional assemblies followed by a National assembly, carried out on a timeline that allows for changes to be implemented before the next expected general election.
See you soon for part 3!
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