About Council positions
Diversity on Council is an asset to the CMPA. Differing viewpoints and a variety of lived experiences are essential to helping us understand and support our members. We invite and encourage submissions from practising members from all backgrounds who feel they can make a unique and valuable contribution.
Nominee experience and attributes
Useful experience and attributes for nominees include one or more of the following: a strong clinical background, leadership capabilities, outreach work, medical education or research experience, governance, business or legal experience, and financial or investment literacy.
The CMPA supports all new Council members with orientation, ongoing education, and training related to many of these areas.
Nominees must be practising CMPA members. Current members of Council may seek nomination and re-election for an additional three-year term.
Nomination criteria
- Nominees must be CMPA members who are practising medicine and who will actively and convincingly support the work of the Association.
- Nominees must meet the requirements of being a Councillor as outlined in the By-Law as well as in the Terms of Reference for Council and Councillors and, on an annual basis, must sign the Councillor Acknowledgement Form regarding the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Councillors.
- Nominees should be members who enjoy the respect of their peers.
- Nominees should not have a criminal conviction related to the practice of medicine or a history of findings of serious professional misconduct.
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CMPA Council plays an important role in the overall success of the Association. Members of Council* govern the Association and provide direction, guidance, and support to the CMPA management team, which is responsible for the Association’s day-to-day business. The Terms of Reference for Council and Councillors sets out the way in which Council fulfills its responsibilities and describes the responsibilities of Councillors.
*Members of Council must be practising member physicians who are ordinarily resident in Canada, in good standing with the CMPA, and who practice medicine in one of 10 geographical areas across Canada (British Columbia and Yukon; Alberta; Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon; Manitoba; Ontario; Québec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; and Newfoundland and Labrador).
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Council is composed of practising member physicians who are ordinarily resident in Canada, in good standing with the CMPA, and who practice medicine in one of 10 geographical areas across Canada (British Columbia and Yukon; Alberta; Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut; Manitoba; Ontario; Québec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; and Newfoundland and Labrador).
To ensure appropriate representation across all specialties in medicine, surgery, and family medicine, members seeking election must practice in one of the following Divisions:
- Division A: Certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) (Specialists in Family Medicine), or physicians without CFPC, CMQ or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) certification. One (1) Council position within Division A is filled by a member engaged in a residency program in Canada.
- Division B: Specialist certification from RCPSC or CMQ, not including specialists in Family Medicine
The number of Division A or B positions in each area is determined by geographical location. In some instances, a Council position within an area may be Division A or B.
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Council members should plan to commit to at least 17 days per year (i.e., one annual meeting, eight Council days, and approximately eight committee days), as well as meeting preparation and travel time.
New Councillor on-boarding: New Councillors will be invited to attend in-person orientation sessions at the CMPA offices in Ottawa in June and July.
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Council members will receive honoraria for Association business or travel. The CMPA also reimburses Councillors for all reasonable out-of-pocket travel, accommodation, meal expense, and childcare costs incurred on CMPA business.
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There are two ways to seek nomination. Both require completion of the online Council Candidate Submission Form.
- Seek nomination by the Nominating Committee. Practising members can submit their names for consideration by the Nominating Committee.
- The Committee reviews candidate submissions in October and November. These may include submissions from current Councillors seeking re-election.
- The Committee will release the names of proposed candidates through the Report of the Nominating Committee.
- Seek nomination through the CMPA Membership. Practising members can be nominated through the membership. In addition to the online Council Candidate Submission Form, a Member Nomination Form [PDF] is required. The form must be accompanied by the names and signatures of 10 supporting, current CMPA members who reside in the same geographical area as the member they are nominating.
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The Council election and nomination process is governed by Article 4 of the CMPA By-law. Election(s) occur when we receive an eligible nomination from the membership in an area where the Nominating Committee has proposed a nominee. Unopposed nominees are acclaimed. All CMPA members in geographical areas where elections occur are sent instructions on how to vote (typically by email). Elector lists are based on the primary mailing address on file for each member.
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Candidates play an important role in communicating and encouraging CMPA members to vote in Council elections. See Campaign guidelines.
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The CMPA uses 2 vote count methods for Council elections: first-past-the-post and ranked choice voting.
First-past-the-post
When an election involves two candidates, the candidate with the most votes is declared the successful candidate. This is commonly referred to as the first-past-the-post voting methodology.
Ranked choice
When there are multiple openings in the same election area involving multiple candidates, or more than 2 candidates for a single position, ranked choice voting is used. The CMPA uses a variation of single transferable vote (STV).
Quotas
With STV, quotas are used by the voting system to determine when winners are selected. These quotas are calculated before tabulation begins and will never change from round to round. Once the prescribed number of winners is selected, tabulation stops after all procedures are complete.
Enforced 50% + 1 quota
With this quota option, the threshold for determining winners is always 50% + 1, regardless of the number of winners. If there is a fraction, it is rounded down. Note that unless redistribution of votes is activated, it is mathematically impossible for more than one candidate to reach the threshold.
Tabulation
Tabulation is the process of counting ballots.
STV with redistribution of votes (no discount)
With this option, “surplus” votes for a candidate that meets quota are redistributed at full value.
Ranked ballots are counted as follows:
- On the first round of counting, each candidate shall receive a first preference vote for each ballot indicating it as first preference.
- Should a candidate meet the quota of first preference votes after any round, it shall be declared elected. If there are several candidates meeting the quota, the one with the most votes shall be elected. If there is a tie, one of those candidates shall be elected by random draw. Multiple candidates are never elected simultaneously.
- When a candidate is elected, the first preference votes for that candidate are redistributed. All first preference votes for that candidate shall be replaced by the ballot’s first preferred candidate that is not yet elected or eliminated. If a ballot does not have another valid first preference vote remaining, it will be considered exhausted.
- If no candidate is elected, then the candidate with the fewest number of first preference votes shall be eliminated from the race. Should there be a tie for the fewest number of first preference votes, then among these, the candidate with the fewest number of second preference votes shall be eliminated. Should a tie persist, the procedure shall continue with third preference votes, et cetera. Should a tie still persist, the candidate with the fewest number of original first preference votes (as counted in round 1) shall be eliminated. Should a tie still persist, the procedures shall continue with original second preference votes, et cetera. Should a tie still persist, a candidate shall be eliminated by random draw. Multiple candidates are never eliminated simultaneously.
- When a candidate is eliminated, all first preference votes for that candidate shall be replaced by the vote's first preferred candidate that is not yet elected or eliminated. If a ballot does not have another valid first preference vote remaining, it will be considered exhausted.
- This procedure of electing and eliminating candidates (steps 2 through 5) shall continue until all winners are elected or the number of candidates left equals the number of winners (this may occur due to exhausted ballots, and those candidates shall be declared elected).
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Candidates submitting a nomination must complete the Council Candidate Submission Form and submit all associated materials and forms as indicated in submission requirements.
Candidates are expected to provide the information required in support of their nomination by the deadlines published by the CMPA.
Submission requirements
The online Council Candidate Submission Form will require information found in your curriculum vitae (CV), such as professional and practice appointments.
Candidates are solely responsible for the spelling and accuracy of the information provided for their candidate statement and appointments, which may be used for election purposes on the CMPA website.
All information will be translated by the CMPA.
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This is your chance to tell the membership why they should vote for you. (You will submit this information as part of the online Council Candidate Submission Form.)
Candidates are solely responsible for the spelling and accuracy of the information provided for their candidate statement and appointments, which may be used for election purposes on the CMPA website.
All information will be translated by the CMPA.
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The Member Nomination Form [PDF] is required for nominations via the CMPA membership. The form must be accompanied by the names and signatures of 10 supporting, current members of the CMPA who reside in the same geographical area as the member they are nominating.
Submit the completed nomination form via email to [email protected].
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The photo you provide will be posted on the CMPA website and will be used for election purposes.
Your candidate photo MUST be:
- recent, professional, and in colour
- limited to the head, neck, and shoulders
- on a plain background (white backdrop is preferable)
- digital file format (.jpg)
- high resolution
- Note: Typically, a photo taken on a personal camera or cell phone is not acceptable.
Send photo via email to [email protected].
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