The Liberal platform said 2015 would be “the last federal election” under the current system.
Two activists behind a massive Facebook event in support of electoral reform say they’re reeling from the news that the federal government is no longer interested in changing how Canadians vote.
During the last federal election, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party committed themselves to "ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system."
The party's platform said it would have a reform plan within 18 months of getting into office. But on Wednesday, the government said reform is no longer on the table.
It was a huge disappointment for Caitlin Urquhart and Andrew Bresnahan. The two friends — a lawyer in Newfoundland and a doctor in Labrador — launched a Facebook event shortly after the election aimed at holding the government to its promise. There are currently almost 10,000 people listed as attending.
Caitlin Urquhart
"Clearly it was a pillar of their campaign," Urquhart told BuzzFeed News.
The Facebook event — Trudeau Promised Electoral Reform — was set for April 20, exactly 18 months after the election. Urquhart said it grew from a reminder for herself and five friends to something thousands of people were interested in.
"It went viral really quickly and obviously tapped into something," she said.
Organizers had demonstrations in the works for cities across the country, Urquhart said. The date is likely to get moved up now, and the event could bring thousands of people out to protest the government's decision.
"The running theme of our group has been a cautious optimism," Urquhart said. "Because the promises were so concrete, it was such a central part of the campaign, that people wanted to give the Liberals and the prime minister the benefit of the doubt."