Join the CoffeeParty.ca and fight for Canadian democracy

Outdated first-past-the-post electoral laws in Canada mean that a minority, anti-government, anti-Canadian group of neoliberals such as the Harper Conservatives are able to rule the country unchallenged with a popular vote of only 39 per cent.

If the CoffeeParty.ca movement has its way, Canadians will introduce more progressive electoral laws in the future so this won’t be able to happen.

“Unlike the Tea Party movement in the U.S., the CoffeeParty.ca movement is pushing only for well-researched and broadly supported changes that will make Canadian governments and big businesses operate more honestly, ethically, openly, representatively, efficiently and effectively,” says Democracy Watch, the public interest organization that came up with the idea for the new group.

The main political parties in Canada don’t want to see the country establish proportional representation because it would likely mean they would have to cooperate with smaller parties to get 50+1 percent of the seats, instead of running the country without a majority, as is now the case.

“If Canadians spent as much time writing politicians about their concerns as they spend buying, making and drinking coffee,” says Democracy Watch, “we would have the good, democratic governments and responsible big businesses we want.”

With elections in fall 2011 in Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and the Yukon (and likely also within the next year in Alberta and B.C.), the window of opportunity is wide open for many Canadians to elect politicians and governments committed to making themselves, and big businesses, more accountable and responsible.

There are several ways we can become involved in the CoffeeParty.ca:

Write a letter to Canadian politicians using the Good Government Action Alert as a guide.

Write a letter to Canadian politicians using the Corporate Responsibility Action Alert as a guide.

Send an email to key Canadian media responding to every article you see about political scandals, and in the email say: "I support the good government changes proposed by Democracy Watch"  -- for media email addresses, click here.

Sign-up for email Action Alerts

Volunteer to help with research and organizing events and workshops.

Campaigning successfully for democracy in Canada is a long and difficult road but, as we can see from the damage the minority Conservatives are doing, it is the most important long-term issues facing the country.

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