The ruling Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper blocked an opposition motion for cross country consultations by a House of Commons committee of the government’s proposed Fair Elections Act on Tuesday night (February 25).
All government MPs, led by the Prime Minister, voted against the Official Opposition motion.
The government maintains the Fair Elections Act will stamp out election fraud and assure all Canadians will have a chance to vote. The opposition, calling the proposed bill, the Unfair Elections Act, says the new act will in fact make it harder for students, Aboriginal Canadians, and seniors to vote, and it will take some current practices out of the calculation for election expenses.
The opposition also suggests the government is trying to muzzle the Chief Electoral Officer and Elections Canada, the independent agency responsible for federal elections. Elections Canada has charged both government and opposition MPs for excessive campaign spending and irregularities in the past.
RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda has a report.
ListenMore information:
Canadian Press – Fair Elections Act: Tories Defeat NDP Motion For Cross-Country Hearings – here
Fair Elections Act – text/info on progress of bill – here
Canada Elections Act – full text – here
Elections Canada – The Role and Structure of Elections Canada – here
RCI – Does new election reform reduce effectiveness of Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer? – here
CBC News – Fair Elections Act could deny vote to thousands: council – here
Huffington Post blog – The Fair Elections Act Is Not Fair at All – here
National Post – Conservatives’ Fair Election Act proposes to eliminate Elections Canada’s abilities to run get-out-and-vote campaigns – here
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