Members’ sneak peek: Our new online policy development process
July 30, 2013
In 2015, the policies that make up our electoral platform will be inspired by resolutions adopted by Liberal members. The Montreal 2014 – Liberal Biennial Convention, February 21-23, will be your next major opportunity to shape those policies.
Before resolutions make it to a vote on the convention floor, however, policy ideas touching important issues are proposed by Liberal members and supporters, and debated at riding association and club meetings in town halls, living rooms, pubs and cafés across Canada. Local engagement activities prior to drafting resolutions are a crucial part of the policy process.
If these ideas find adequate support, a riding or club can champion a policy resolution all the way to a vote at biennial.
For Montreal 2014, however, we’re adding a new online policy development process to complement the traditional one — and today we’re inviting all members to take a sneak peek!
Participating in this new online policy development process is as easy as 1-2-3:
1 — Propose: Starting this Fall, as long as you’ve signed up as a supporter or member, you’ll be able to propose policy ideas in one of 15 new Policy Groups in the Liberal.ca Community; As part of our sneak peek — members can click here and start contributing ideas today!
2 — Debate: Within these 15 Policy Groups, members of the National Policy and Electoral Platform Committee (NPEP) will moderate focused discussions around the specific ideas you and others propose. If you can mobilize adequate support for your policy proposal, NPEP will work with you to find a riding or club to sponsor your policy resolution.
3 — Adopt: When a riding or club sponsors your proposal, it then moves to a separate “Policy Lab” website where LPC Members alone can discuss your idea and help you fine tune your policy resolution prior to adoption at the riding level and later at a provincial policy convention — the final step before the biennial convention.
This new online policy development process will be open to all Canadians — with Liberal supporters able to propose ideas and contribute to the debate at the early stages, while party membership will be a requirement if you wish to take an idea all the way to the policy plenary at the biennial convention.
If you’re interested in learning more about the policy development process, please read more here. If you’re a party member and are ready to join the discussion, click here. If you’re not yet a member, you can become one here. You can also sign up as a supporter, here.
Thank you.
Maryanne Kampouris
National Policy Chair