-- National Campaign to Change First-Past-the-Post Voting System Begins with Ottawa Conference --

TORONTO/REGINA: Fair Vote Canada will be launched this weekend during a news conference in Ottawa on Friday, March 30 prior to a two-day conference on Parliament Hill (March 30th and 31st) that has attracted over 80 politicians, academics, elections experts, political activists and citizens from across the country and across the political spectrum.

Fair Vote Canada is a non-partisan, citizen-based organization dedicated to changing Canada's first-past-the-post voting system.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Author and commentator, Judy Rebick;
• Chief Electoral Officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley;
• Authors Nick Loenen (Citizenship and Democracy) and Henry Milner (Making Every Vote Count);
• Paul Howe, Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP); and
• Walter Robinson from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The conference will also feature a political party panel discussion with Dan McTeague (Liberal MP), Scott Reid (Canadian Alliance MP), Lorne Nystrom (NDP MP), Scott Brison (PC MP) and Julian West (Green Party).

The first day of the two-day event will cover issues surrounding voting reform with emphasis on models of proportional representation. Day two will focus on organizational structure and campaign strategies. The conference is being covered by CPAC for later broadcast on "The Public Record."

News Conference:

Date: Friday, March 30, 2001
Time: 10:00 am
Place: Charles Lynch Press Conference Room
Room 130-S, Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa