The provincial government is looking at scrapping the ranked-ballot voting system for municipal elections, but critics say the move would only serve to undermine local democratic processes.
The City of London was the first Ontario municipality to used ranked ballots in their 2018 election, but since then, other local government have considered switching the way people case their vote.
In Kingston, for instance, a referendum on the issue found more than 60 per cent support from local voters.
The PCs are defending the proposed change, which was introduced Tuesday as part of a broader bill meant to provide COVID-19 relief.
They say it will save municipal resources that could be better utilized during the ongoing pandemic.
One PC legislator says that the government doesn’t think that it is the right time to invest taxpayer dollars into studying and possibly implementing a new system.
However, opposition MPPs say that the proposed change is just another example of provincial meddling in local decision-making.
