The Canadian government’s proposed Fair Elections Act should be amended according to a “Pre-Study” report released by the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Tuesday (April 15). “Because it is important to protect the trust, participation, and reliability of the electoral system” the committee made nine recommendations.
The committee is dominated by Conservative government Senators, even so, it is proposing amendments.
The government says it wants to eliminate voter election fraud and tighten election campaign funding with Bill C-23, but opposition parties say the amendments will take away the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of Canadians, open loopholes in election spending rules, and take away the right of the Chief Electoral Officer to promote voting.
The senate committee recommendations include a variety of changes or improvements to the legislation. It also includes a minority opinion from a number of opposition Liberal senators.
There has been near unanimous condemnation of the Fair Elections Act by the Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand, former federal chief electoral officers, academics, and opposition MPs. Government ministers have responded with attacks on the critics and justifications for the need for electoral reform.
Conservative government Senator Linda Frum, who accused the Chief Electoral Officer of a conflict of interest for wanting to continue to promote voting, told the Globe and Mail newspaper the recommended changes are not a rebuke of the government.
More information:
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs – interim report Fair Elections Act – here
National Post – Senators want nine major changes to controversial Fair Elections Act, setting up clash with House – here
Globe and Mail – Proposed changes to election rules not a rebuke of Tories, senator says – here
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