John Lennard for YLC President

Over the past months, I've had the opportunity to travel and meet with Young Liberals from across Canada.  It's been a wonderful experience.  Young Liberals everywhere, from Victoria to St. John's, are so diverse, hardworking and progressive.  They have passion, spark and vision.  They want to leave their mark and have their say, and believe that the Liberal Party of Canada is the best way to do it.

One of the biggest ways Party members can have their say is during a leadership campaign. As someone who's been through three leadership campaigns in my day, I can say, without a doubt, that there is nothing more thrilling and empowering than standing among Liberal friends on the floor of a convention and choosing the next leader.  

Thrilling, yes.  Empowering, definitely.  But fair?  I'm not so sure.  

Leadership conventions are great spectacles, but they are, above all else, exclusive affairs.  Not all party members get to participate.  Only members elected as delegates get to have a say - and even then, only delegates who can afford to actually make it out to convention.  All told, a small percentage of the membership of our party - 5%, maybe 10% if we're lucky - gets a direct vote on who becomes the next leader.  

Throughout the course of this campaign, I've met far too many Liberals - and especially Young Liberals - who would love to be a part of the Vancouver convention, but can't afford the expense.  This is an unfortunate fact that needs to change.  Money should never, ever be a barrier to participation in the Liberal Party.  Full stop.

That's why I'm in favour of a One Member, One Vote (OMOV) system of selecting our Leader.  But for OMOV to work in the Liberal Party, it has to treat all ridings equally and leave no region of the country behind.  One of the biggest concerns with OMOV is that it will give a greater say to areas in which we are already strong, and ignore the legitimate concerns of regions where we have some work to do.  As a Northern Ontarian, I recognize the importance of giving a voice to areas of our country beyond the big cities.  After all, it is precisely in rural and non-urban ridings where we are having the most trouble electing MPs and engaging party members.  Liberals here deserve to be heard, too.

The proposal put forward by the National Executive of the Liberal Party of Canada is an very acceptable compromise, in my view.   Here's how it works:

● Every member of the party votes for his or her preferred leadership candidate.  

● Voting can be done over the internet, telephone or in-person at regional gatherings. 

● Each riding is then assigned an equal number of points (100 points) with those points being allocated proportionately to the votes received by each candidate.  

In other words, whether a riding has 100 members or 1,000 members, its voice, relative to every other riding in the country, is just as strong.  And the best part is, every single Liberal across the country gets a direct vote!   This proposal is inclusive, simple and equal, and it deserves to be adopted.

As President of the Young Liberals of Canada, I will always stand up for openness and inclusion.  And so my task starts now: I urge all delegates in Vancouver to join me in supporting a Party built for everyone.  Join me in supporting One Member, One Vote.