(great diverse group: party people, public servants, NGO workers and more!)

Following the recent failure of the BC STV (Single Transferrable Vote) referendum in BC, what are our options?

First Past the Post (our current electoral system):

Percentage of VOTES versus percentage of SEATS
ie Bloc Quebecois- percentage of seats rarely matches their actual percentage of votes

Citizens Assemblies on Electoral Reform in Provinces:

BC (both in 2006 AND in 2009) - STV
PEI - List system
Quebec considering it
Ontario - held referendum, but didn't get support needed

List system (vote for MP and for party)
Local seat AND list seat - wow - list seats can change from election to election, depending on howmany people vote on the list ballot
CONCERN: parties can determine lists - often go to important people in the party
- order of priority important

BUT this still eists in a party system. Can we get away from political parties?
do away with party system - it serves specific interests 

Other alternative voting systems:

Alternate Votes:
Have run off ballots until a candidate gets a majority

Run Off ballot:
Come back two weeks after election - vote for top two candidates who received most votes in election

And one more alternative system:
How Ontario chose citizens for Citizens Assembly - random computer choosing people from each constituency, who then serve in office

Question: is there room for global governance?
AND on the other side, should we focus more in local, community governance?

Other changes to electoral and party systems:
- changing room structure (circular versus opposite sides of the room)
- how to engage people in voting?
- create mobile/cell phone applications

How to get governments to even consider this?

Need more than just a simple majority of approval to get this passed - it's a big change to governance (that's why these electoral reform votes often need 60% of citizen approval)

Is there cynicism around voting systems? Are parties taking advantage of this cynicism and doubt in system?
BUT current system has actually gotten people motivated and out to vote. Can't just blame politicians, have to blame ourselves. WE need to take more action, write our MPs.

Technology has also fragmented us (ie just reading news that I'm interested in) - we are more issue specific: we participate in local, specific, personally interesting issues, not big tent political parties.
Fragmentation: has it reached it's most fragmented part?

Is part of the problem that people don't feel empowered?
Obama empowered people to get him elected by allowing scaled involvement - being as involved as you want to be, at whatever level you can be.
Is this happening in Canada?
WHY are politicians so childish in question period?

People want to be connected in productive, community, comfortable conversations.

Make voting a requirement - penalizing people who don't vote.
If you don't vote, you lose your right to complain.
Does not voting mean you don't care?

Have we been trained to be disempowered, and now just don't feel we can make any difference at all?

Empowerment: does it require that we're involved in all the nitty-gritty details?
How to empower politicians? They are playing roles of trustees, representatives, and as party members... what should take precendence?
One way to empower politicians is with information - getting citizens, on the ground, using social networking, to contribute to more public discourse and connect this to politicians, and empower elected officials to use this information and feedback from citizens.
Lobbyists do this! Build trust relationships, provide assistance & expertise, support politicians in their work and to make change.
ALSO - use alternative formats (like ChangeCamp!) to institute change
Draw in people, especially marginalized people, and use their leadership skills

Any consensus around what kind of electoral reform system that we could propose now?
STV as good stepping stone to larger reform (rank candidates in your riding)
ALSO, getting beyond BC - get people inspired to get involved in politics more generally - less of a threatening change
Education at grassroots - teach the little ones about politics
Much, much more was discussed than just electoral reform!