About the discussion
Tuesday, October 20, 7 to 9 p.m.
Guest: Hugo Cyr
Moderator: Jean-Noé Landry
Venue: Centre St-Ambroise, 5080 St-Ambroise (@ Saint-Rémi)
The Canadian experience with minority governments since 2003 has not lead to the coalition-making and consensus-building between the parties that citizens expected. What have we accomplished during the last three minority governments? If minority governments are out, is a return to a majority that desirable? The short-lived Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition late last year, which threatened the Conservative government, led to the unprecedented discontinuation of Parliament. Voters were left further alienated. With parliamentary elections looming this fall, many are thinking of casting their ballots strategically, choosing productivity over representation. This public conversation is an opportunity for us to explore how we, as citizens, can think differently about our political system and make choices which allows us to have a responsible government. Together we will discuss questions such as: What are the conditions for a successful minority government in Canada? Are institutional changes required? How can political parties regain the trust of voters in the process?
Guest:
Hugo Cyr is a professor of public law and legal theory at the Département des sciences juridiques of l'Université du Québec à Montréal. He is particularly interested in the cultural analysis of law. He has been a researcher at the European Academy of Legal Theory in Brussels, a clerk with Supreme Court justice Ian C. Binnie and has taught at McGill University and l’Université de Montréal.
Moderator:
Jean-Noé Landry is a political development consultant. He has worked with the United Nations and the International Democratic Institute, strengthening political institutions and supporting local citizen engagement initiatives in the Balkans, Russia, Afghanistan, and the West Bank. He is currently involved with Apathy is Boring, the Centretown Community Health Centre, and the NDP.