Feb 26, 2020
British Columbia led the way with a citizens’ assembly in 2004, a deliberative method which has been deeply influential among deliberative democrats. In 2006 a similar process, the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform was undertaken in Ontario.
Peter MacLeod was part of the secretariat that oversaw the Students' Assembly on Electoral Reform which ran alongside the Ontario Citizens' Assembly and whose findings were presented to the Citizens' Assembly.
Peter has applied the principles of those democratic innovations to make it a routine occurrence in Canada. He’s done this through his efforts with MASS LBP over the past decade, using civic lotteries and long-form deliberations, among other methods.
Peter offers a model for working closely with the public sector and everyday people in constructive ways. This particular episode would resonate for those charged with the difficult task of overseeing government decisions.
Fran Peavey’s Listening Post
Music acknowledgement.