For Immediate Release:

Twelve Hamilton Area Residents selected for the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly

Toronto, June 5, 2006 –Eleven members ofOntario’s first-ever Citizens’ Assembly were selected at three meetings in Hamilton on Sunday.

“I’ve voted in every election since I came to Canada and want to be a part of this journey to improve our electoral system,” said Salvación Villamil, representing the riding of Niagara Falls, who was randomly selected by Elections Ontario to join the historic Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform. The Assembly will consider various electoral systems from around the world, listen to, and consult with fellow citizens before recommending whether Ontario should retain its current electoral system or adopt a new one.

“These individuals will participate in Ontario’s most ambitious exercise in direct democracy,” said George Thomson, Chair of the Assembly, “They will explore questions that are fundamental to Ontario’s electoral system. This is the first time Ontario has engaged citizens from across the province in this way and on a topic of such significance to our democratic process.”

In total twelve Assembly members were selected at three meetingsheld in Hamilton by Elections Ontario this weekend including: Rosemarie Arsenault (Hamilton East), Ronald Green (St. Catharines), Stephanie Jones (Niagara Centre), Jon Kristman (Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant), Frank O’Gradey (Hamilton West), Sandra Richter (Burlington), Jennie Stakich (Hamilton Mountain), Leana Swanson (Brant), Susan Tiley (Stoney Creek), John Toll (Erie-Lincoln), Salvación Villamil (Niagara Falls) and Jeffrey Witt (Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot).

The Citizens’ Assembly will begin meeting in September 2006 and will deliver its recommendations to the government by May 15, 2007. In the event that the Assembly recommends a change to Ontario’s electoral system, the recommendation will be put to all citizen’s in a referendum within the current government’s mandate.

“Other provinces and countries have been reviewing their electoral systems, but only a few, like British Columbia and the Netherlands, have given citizens such a direct role in the process. The Ontario Citizens’ Assembly is independent of government. It gives citizens – not politicians or experts – the power to decide what our votes should mean when we elect Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs)”, said Thomson. “All Ontarians have a stake in this process and I urge them to start thinking about what electoral system would best suit their needs.”

Elections Ontario used a process of random representative sampling to select Citizens’ Assembly members. Approximately 124,000 letters were mailed out to Ontarians in mid-April, asking them to respond if they were interested in serving on the Assembly. Of the approximately 12,000 people who responded, 1,200 were invited to attend selection meetings where one Assembly member per riding is selected by ballot.

There are fourteen selection meetings remaining and will be held in 12 cities throughout the month of June. Elections Ontario will present its list of 103 Assembly members to Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Minister of Democratic Renewal on or before July 14, 2006. For more information on the Citizens’ Assembly, visit:

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Media Contacts:

For information about the Citizens’ Assembly please contact:

Barry Koen-Butt

Executive Lead, Communications

OntarioCitizens’ Assembly Secretariat

416-325-0752 / 416-993-2405

For information about the selection process and meetings please contact:

Paula Chung

Communications Officer

Elections Ontario

416 212-6186 / 1 866 252-2152