Referendums in Canada
Encyclopedia
National referendums are seldom used in Canada. The first two referendum
s saw voters in Québec
and the rest of Canada
take dramatically opposing stands, the third saw most of the voters take a stand dramatically opposed to that of the politicians in power.
, the NDP
stated that it would require the federal government to hold a national referendum on electoral reform
(specifically Proportional Representation
) for support from the NDP should the Liberals
win a minority government
. The Liberals won a minority, and the NDP announced they would press for electoral reform through a referendum . The possibility of a national referendum on electoral reform was made more likely through the Throne speech that opened Parliament in October, 2004, in which former Liberal Prime Minister
Paul Martin
included electoral reform in his plan for the next Parliament. So far Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper
has not made any moves towards reform of the electoral system.
There had been discussion regarding a national referendum over the issue of same-sex marriage
, which was a highly divisive issue in Canada. A national plebiscite had been suggested by Alberta
Premier
Ralph Klein and some Conservatives
and Liberal
backbencher
s. However, Paul Martin's Liberal government, with the support of the NDP and Bloc Québécois, passed the Civil Marriage Act
, legalizing same-sex marriage through Parliament in July 2005 without holding a plebiscite. In December 2006, Stephen Harper
's government introduced a motion to re-open the marriage debate, which lost. Notably, members of all parties, including some conservative cabinet members, voted it down.
, a Treaty Referendum was held on First Nations
treaty rights in 2002. The referendum proposed eight questions that voters were asked to either support or oppose. Critics claimed the phrasing was flawed or biased toward a predetermined response. Critics, especially First Nations and religious groups, called for a boycott of the referendum, and only about one third of ballots were returned, significantly less than the usual turnout in provincial general elections. The ballots that were returned showed enthusiastic support, with over 80 per cent of participating voters agreeing to all eight proposed principles.
A referendum on electoral reform
on May 17, 2005 was held in conjunction with the provincial election
that year. British Columbian voters were asked to approve a new electoral system based on the Single Transferable Vote
called BC STV. It passed with the support of a majority of voters (57%), but failed to meet the required "supermajority" threshold of 60%. Premier Gordon Campbell announced due to the large support shown for electoral reform a second referendum
would be held in correspondence with the British Columbia general election, 2009
. This referendum would also have required approval by 60% of those voting.
The second referendum was held on May 12, 2009 in conjunction with the province election. The results were a "supermajority" of 60.92% voting for retaining the current "first past the post" electoral system and 39.8% voting for the proposed Single Transferable Vote.
A mail-in referendum
was held from June 13 to August 5, 2011, on the fate of the province's harmonized sales tax. The government pledged to discontinue the tax if more than 50% of the voters opt to have the tax discontinued. It was passed, with 55% in favour.
to determine its future. An initial referendum was held on June 3, 1948 to decide between continuing with the British appointed Commission of Government
that had ruled the island since the 1930s, revert to dominion status with responsible government
, or join Canadian Confederation
. The result was inconclusive, with 44.6% supporting the restoration of dominion status, 41.1% for confederation with Canada, and 14.3% for continuing the Commission of Government. A second referendum on July 22, 1948, which asked Newfoundlanders to choose between confederation and dominion status, was decided by a vote of 52% to 48% for confederation with Canada. Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949.
A referendum was held in Newfoundland and Labrador
in 1995 that approved replacing the province's system of parochial school
s with a largely public school system. In 1997, a second referendum to amend the Terms of Union to allow for the Catholic and Pentecostal school systems to be disbanded and brought into the public system.
held a referendum
on whether to continue to permit Video Lottery Terminals to operate in the province. 53.1% of those who voted in favour of retaining the terminals.
held a non-binding plebiscite on whether to allow 'Sunday shopping
'. The result was a slight victory for the No side although the government went ahead and legalized Sunday Shopping the following year after a court decision overturned the law.
for more information. This was the first referendum in that province since 1924 when a referendum on prohibition was held
.
. On November 28, 2005, Islanders were asked to vote by plebiscite whether or not they wanted mixed member proportional representation
- partly "party list-based" - electoral system. Islanders decided, 64% to 36%, to keep the status quo first-past-the-post
based electoral system that was already in place.
:
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s saw voters in Québec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and the rest of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
take dramatically opposing stands, the third saw most of the voters take a stand dramatically opposed to that of the politicians in power.
Referendum on prohibition
| Jurisdiction | For Prohibition | Percent For | Against Prohibition | Percent Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta and Saskatchewan | 6,238 | 68.8 | 2,824 | 31.2 |
| British Columbia | 5,731 | 54.6 | 4,756 | 45.4 |
| Manitoba | 12,419 | 80.6 | 2,978 | 19.4 |
| New Brunswick | 26,919 | 72.2 | 9,575 | 27.7 |
| Nova Scotia | 34,368 | 87.2 | 5,370 | 12.8 |
| Ontario | 154,498 | 57.3 | 115,284 | 42.7 |
| Prince Edward Island | 9,461 | 89.2 | 1,146 | 10.8 |
| Quebec | 28,436 | 18.8 | 122,760 | 81.2 |
| Canada | 278,380 | 51.2 | 264,693 | 48.8 |
Plebiscite on conscription
The Question:- Are you in favour of releasing the Government from any obligations arising out of any past commitments restricting the methods of raising men for military service?
| Jurisdiction | Voted Yes | Percent Yes | Voted No | Percent No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 186,624 | 71.1 | 75,880 | 28.9 |
| British Columbia | 253,844 | 80.4 | 62,033 | 19.6 |
| Manitoba | 218,093 | 80.3 | 53,651 | 19.7 |
| New Brunswick | 105,629 | 69.8 | 45,743 | 30.2 |
| Nova Scotia | 120,763 | 77.1 | 35,840 | 22.1 |
| Ontario | 1,202,953 | 84.0 | 229,847 | 16.0 |
| Prince Edward Island | 23,568 | 82.9 | 4,869 | 17.1 |
| Quebec | 375,650 | 27.9 | 971,925 | 72.1 |
| Saskatchewan | 183,617 | 73.1 | 67,654 | 26.9 |
| Yukon | 847 | 74.4 | 291 | 25.6 |
| Total civilian vote | 2,670,088 | 63.3 | 1,547,724 | 36.7 |
| Military vote | 251,118 | 80.5 | 60,885 | 19.5 |
| Canada | 2,921,206 | 64.5 | 1,608,609 | 35.5 |
Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord
The Question:- Do you agree that the Constitution of Canada should be renewed on the basis of the agreement reached on August 28, 1992?
Results of the National Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord Charlottetown AccordThe Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
(October 26, 1992)Jurisdiction Voted Yes Percent Yes Voted No Percent No Alberta 483,275 39.8 731,975 60.2 British Columbia 525,188 31.8 1,126,761 68.2 Manitoba 198,230 38.0 322,971 62.0 New Brunswick 23,010 61.7 145,096 38.3 Newfoundland 133,193 63.1 77,881 36.9 Northwest Territories 14,750 61.0 9,416 39.0 Nova Scotia 218,618 48.7 230,182 51.3 Ontario 2,410,119 50.1 2,397,665 49.9 Prince Edward Island 48,687 74.0 17,124 26.0 Quebec 1,710,117 43.4 2,232,280 56.6 Saskatchewan 203,361 44.6 252,459 55.4 Yukon 5,354 43.6 6,922 56.4 Canada 6,185,902 45.0 7,550,732 55.0
Proposed referendums
During the Canadian Federal election of 2004Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, the NDP
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
stated that it would require the federal government to hold a national referendum on electoral reform
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
(specifically Proportional Representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
) for support from the NDP should the Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
win a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. The Liberals won a minority, and the NDP announced they would press for electoral reform through a referendum . The possibility of a national referendum on electoral reform was made more likely through the Throne speech that opened Parliament in October, 2004, in which former Liberal Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
included electoral reform in his plan for the next Parliament. So far Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
has not made any moves towards reform of the electoral system.
There had been discussion regarding a national referendum over the issue of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
, which was a highly divisive issue in Canada. A national plebiscite had been suggested by Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Premier
Premier of Alberta
The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Alberta is Alison Redford. She became Premier by winning the Progressive Conservative leadership elections on...
Ralph Klein and some Conservatives
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
and Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
s. However, Paul Martin's Liberal government, with the support of the NDP and Bloc Québécois, passed the Civil Marriage Act
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
, legalizing same-sex marriage through Parliament in July 2005 without holding a plebiscite. In December 2006, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's government introduced a motion to re-open the marriage debate, which lost. Notably, members of all parties, including some conservative cabinet members, voted it down.
British Columbia
In British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, a Treaty Referendum was held on First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
treaty rights in 2002. The referendum proposed eight questions that voters were asked to either support or oppose. Critics claimed the phrasing was flawed or biased toward a predetermined response. Critics, especially First Nations and religious groups, called for a boycott of the referendum, and only about one third of ballots were returned, significantly less than the usual turnout in provincial general elections. The ballots that were returned showed enthusiastic support, with over 80 per cent of participating voters agreeing to all eight proposed principles.
A referendum on electoral reform
British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2005
A referendum was held in the Canadian province of British Columbia on May 17, 2005 to determine whether or not to adopt the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform...
on May 17, 2005 was held in conjunction with the provincial election
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
that year. British Columbian voters were asked to approve a new electoral system based on the Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
called BC STV. It passed with the support of a majority of voters (57%), but failed to meet the required "supermajority" threshold of 60%. Premier Gordon Campbell announced due to the large support shown for electoral reform a second referendum
British Columbia electoral reform referendum, 2009
A second referendum on electoral reform was held in conjunction with the provincial election on May 12, 2009. The BC-single transferrable vote electoral system was again voted on by the BC electorate. It would have required 60 per cent overall approval and 50 per cent approval in at least 60 per...
would be held in correspondence with the British Columbia general election, 2009
British Columbia general election, 2009
The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
. This referendum would also have required approval by 60% of those voting.
The second referendum was held on May 12, 2009 in conjunction with the province election. The results were a "supermajority" of 60.92% voting for retaining the current "first past the post" electoral system and 39.8% voting for the proposed Single Transferable Vote.
A mail-in referendum
British Columbia sales tax referendum, 2011
A postal referendum on sales tax was held in British Columbia from June 13 to August 5, 2011, though Canada Post workers were locked out until June 27. Voters were asked whether the Harmonized Sales Tax should be retained or split back to the original Provincial Sales Tax and Goods & Services Tax...
was held from June 13 to August 5, 2011, on the fate of the province's harmonized sales tax. The government pledged to discontinue the tax if more than 50% of the voters opt to have the tax discontinued. It was passed, with 55% in favour.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The island of Newfoundland, then a British colony, held two referendums in 1948Newfoundland referendums, 1948
The Newfoundland Referendums of 1948 were a series of two referendums to decide the political future of the Dominion of Newfoundland. Before the referendums, Newfoundland was in debt and went through several delegations to determine whether the country would join Canada, remain under British rule...
to determine its future. An initial referendum was held on June 3, 1948 to decide between continuing with the British appointed Commission of Government
Commission of Government
The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949...
that had ruled the island since the 1930s, revert to dominion status with responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
, or join Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. The result was inconclusive, with 44.6% supporting the restoration of dominion status, 41.1% for confederation with Canada, and 14.3% for continuing the Commission of Government. A second referendum on July 22, 1948, which asked Newfoundlanders to choose between confederation and dominion status, was decided by a vote of 52% to 48% for confederation with Canada. Newfoundland joined Canada on March 31, 1949.
A referendum was held in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in 1995 that approved replacing the province's system of parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s with a largely public school system. In 1997, a second referendum to amend the Terms of Union to allow for the Catholic and Pentecostal school systems to be disbanded and brought into the public system.
New Brunswick
On May 14, 2001, New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
held a referendum
New Brunswick video lottery terminal referendum, 2001
A referendum on video lottery terminals was held on 14 May 2001 in 103 municipalities in New Brunswick. According to the chief electoral officer's report, "229,814 voters" or...
on whether to continue to permit Video Lottery Terminals to operate in the province. 53.1% of those who voted in favour of retaining the terminals.
Nova Scotia
In 2004, Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
held a non-binding plebiscite on whether to allow 'Sunday shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
'. The result was a slight victory for the No side although the government went ahead and legalized Sunday Shopping the following year after a court decision overturned the law.
Ontario
On October 10, 2007 Ontario held a referendum on whether to adopt a Mixed Member Proportional system of elections. The proposed system failed with 63% voting for the status quo in favour of First-Past-the-Post. See Ontario electoral reform referendum, 2007Ontario electoral reform referendum, 2007
An Ontario electoral reform referendum was held on October 10, 2007, in an attempt to establish a mixed member proportional representation system for elections to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
for more information. This was the first referendum in that province since 1924 when a referendum on prohibition was held
Ontario prohibition referendum, 1924
An Ontario prohibition referendum was held on October 23, 1924 on the repeal of the Ontario Temperance Act. The referendum was brought about by a clause in the Act, which permitted the possible repeal of prohibition by a majority vote.- Referendum question :...
.
Prince Edward Island
The small province of Prince Edward Island (under 150,000 people and therefore in scale more like a municipal government) has had several referendums in its past, although the correct terminology in the province is a plebiscite. The last provincial plebiscite was held to determine if Islanders were in favour of a fixed link to the mainland. It passed 60% to 40%. This allowed the provincial and federal governments to attract contractors to build what is now the Confederation BridgeConfederation Bridge
The Confederation Bridge is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the "Fixed Link" by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place...
. On November 28, 2005, Islanders were asked to vote by plebiscite whether or not they wanted mixed member proportional representation
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
- partly "party list-based" - electoral system. Islanders decided, 64% to 36%, to keep the status quo first-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
based electoral system that was already in place.
Quebec
Four referendums were held in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
:
- 1919 - April 10: Referendum on the legalization of the sale of alcohol. The Yes side won.
- 1980 - May 20: Referendum on the Sovereignty-Association proposal. The No side won.
- 1992 - October 26: Referendum on the Charlottetown AccordCharlottetown AccordThe Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
. The No side won. - 1995 - October 30: Referendum on Sovereignty with optional partnership offer The No side narrowly won.