Require a by-election for Council Vacancies

Preamble

WHEREAS the existing Bylaw 2.1.6 requires Federal Council fill any vacancy on Federal Council by appointment;

Operative

BE IT RESOLVED that 2.1.6.1 be replaced with the following:

2.1.6.1 Federal Council has the authority to fill, by appointment, any vacancy, however caused, if fewer than four(4) months remain before an internal election and that Federal Council may appoint one of its existing members to fill an executive position that becomes vacant until the next General Meeting or the term for that position ends, whichever occurs first.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Clause 2.1.6.2 be added to read:

2.1.6.2 A by-election will be called for any council position that becomes vacant more than four (4) months prior to the internal election cycle.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the remaining Clauses be renumbered accordingly.

Sponsors:
Ard van Leeuwen, Burt Folkins, Colin Griffiths, Constantine Kritsonis, Danny Polifroni, Johan Hamels, Marcus Madsen, Mark MacKenzie, Stacey Leadbetter, Norbert d'Costa, Doug Anderson, Lorraine Rekmans, Saul Bottcher

Background

One of the issues of allowing appointments by federal council to fill vacancies is that the general membership does not have a role to play in selecting the replacement. By stipulating that a by-election should take place, this is corrected. It also opens up the process of party management to address the cause of the vacancy, whether accidental or not. Given the speed with which we are now able to conduct an election, the additional process of an election for one councilor is not seen as an impediment to due process.

Code

G16-C004

Proposal Type

Constitutional

Submitter Name

Joe Foster

Preamble

WHEREAS the existing Bylaw 2.1.6 requires Federal Council fill any vacancy on Federal Council by appointment;

Operative

BE IT RESOLVED that 2.1.6.1 be replaced with the following:

2.1.6.1 Federal Council has the authority to fill, by appointment, any vacancy, however caused, if fewer than four(4) months remain before an internal election and that Federal Council may appoint one of its existing members to fill an executive position that becomes vacant until the next General Meeting or the term for that position ends, whichever occurs first.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a new Clause 2.1.6.2 be added to read:

2.1.6.2 A by-election will be called for any council position that becomes vacant more than four (4) months prior to the internal election cycle.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the remaining Clauses be renumbered accordingly.

Sponsors

Ard van Leeuwen, Burt Folkins, Colin Griffiths, Constantine Kritsonis, Danny Polifroni, Johan Hamels, Marcus Madsen, Mark MacKenzie, Stacey Leadbetter, Norbert d'Costa, Doug Anderson, Lorraine Rekmans, Saul Bottcher

Background

One of the issues of allowing appointments by federal council to fill vacancies is that the general membership does not have a role to play in selecting the replacement. By stipulating that a by-election should take place, this is corrected. It also opens up the process of party management to address the cause of the vacancy, whether accidental or not. Given the speed with which we are now able to conduct an election, the additional process of an election for one councilor is not seen as an impediment to due process.