XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: man.politics, sk.politics, ont.politics   
   From: {~_~}@nyet.ca   
      
   Ottawa Citizen - April 17, 2014   
      
      
   Tories spurn NDP request to start over on elections bill   
      
      
   OTTAWA — The federal government has rejected a request from the NDP to   
   withdraw its controversial bill to overhaul Canada’s election law in   
   favor of a new draft that reflects parliamentary consensus.   
      
   The request came Thursday from NDP MP Craig Scott, who wrote to   
   Democratic Reform Minister Pierre Poilievre. Without a “fresh start” to   
   the bill, Scott warned, the damage to Canadians’ trust in democracy   
   could be “long-lasting and irreparable.”   
      
   He wrote that the NDP’s proposal was offered with a “constructive   
   spirit” and the party is prepared to work into the summer on a new bill   
   with other MPs.   
      
   “Taking a collective step back and starting fresh would be welcomed by   
   Canadians.”   
      
   But within hours, Poilievre made it clear the government will not grant   
   Scott’s request.   
      
   In a statement to the Citizen, Poilievre said his bill is “common sense,   
   reasonable and supported by everyday Canadians.”   
      
   “We will move ahead with this bill and encourage the opposition to   
   support it as well.”   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   Debate has been polarized since Bill C-23 was introduced in the Commons   
   in February. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Poilievre have defended   
   the “Fair Elections Act,” saying it would improve the electoral system   
   and crack down on those who violate campaign rules. The Tories want the   
   bill passed by the end of June.   
      
   But opposition parties argue the Conservatives are trying to rig future   
   elections in favour of their party and ram the legislation through   
   Parliament.   
      
   At parliamentary hearings, independent experts ranging from the chief   
   electoral officer to the country’s former auditor general have also   
   expressed concern — particularly about measures they say could   
   disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters by banning vouching and voter   
   information cards.   
      
   “These self-serving changes are causing people to lose faith in our   
   democratic system,” Scott wrote to Poilievre.   
      
   “It is your responsibility, as Minister of State for Democratic Reform,   
   to take the necessary steps to restore Canadians’ faith in our   
   democratic system. I urge you to withdraw Bill C-23 in order for us to   
   start fresh and work together on a more consensus-based approach to   
   improving the Canada Elections Act.”   
      
   Scott, a rookie MP who previously taught law at Toronto’s Osgoode Hall,   
   wrote that politicians have an obligation to work together, particularly   
   when it comes to “changing the rules that govern our democracy.”   
      
   Earlier this week, a Conservative-dominated Senate committee that had   
   been asked by the government to study the bill released an interim   
   report recommending nine changes.   
      
   Some of the proposals would address critics’ concerns the bill would   
   muzzle the chief electoral officer and give the Conservative party an   
   unfair edge on how much money it can spend during campaigns.   
      
   Poilievre said he will “defend every single measure in the bill” but is   
   also prepared to consider the proposed amendments with an “open mind.”   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   Opposition parties say the Senate’s suggestions don’t go far enough and   
   are part of a government strategy to appear conciliatory when it still   
   plans to proceed with the bill’s most damaging elements.   
   ___________________________________________   
      
      
   Fair elections act: 7 things you may not know   
      
   Most of the debate about the changes the government wants to make to how   
   Canadians vote and run elections has centred around vouching. But there   
   are many more controversial measures inside Bill C-23. Here are seven   
   things you may not know about the proposed fair elections act.   
      
   1. Party-appointed election workers   
      
   The government wants to introduce rules that would let the winning   
   candidate of the previous election — the member of Parliament — choose   
   some of the workers at polling stations. The incumbent candidate would   
   select the central poll supervisors in addition to the deputy returning   
   officers, whom they already select. Poll clerks would continue to be   
   selected by the candidate who finished second in the previous election,   
   or by the riding association or party backing the candidate.   
      
   The bill's clause 20 would allow a returning officer to refuse   
   appointments on "reasonable grounds," but doesn't set out what qualify   
   as reasonable grounds.   
      
   Under current legislation, those workers are appointed by returning   
   officers, who are hired by Elections Canada. The central poll   
   supervisors, for example, are put in place at polling stations to make   
   sure voting unfolds smoothly.   
      
   Harry Neufeld, British Columbia's former chief electoral officer and an   
   independent election consultant, told the CBC's Rosemary Barton last   
   month that the move is "completely inappropriate in a democracy."   
   Neufeld told reporters later in March that the bill is an attempt to   
   tilt the playing field in favour of the Conservatives.   
      
   2. New spending loopholes   
      
   Often, updating legislation means closing loopholes. In this case, the   
   bill would also loosen campaign spending rules to create a loophole.   
      
   Clause 86 of the new bill would let political parties spend as much as   
   they want on election fundraising from people who have contributed $20   
   or more in the last five years. Right now, if a party hires a company to   
   solicit money during an election, that counts as an election expense.   
   Election expenses are capped based on the population.   
      
        Senate panel to push for substantive change to fair elections act   
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   One concern about the loophole is that it would let the parties not only   
   raise funds but solicit support from voters in those calls, emails or   
   mailouts.   
      
   As former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley said, it's hard   
   to separate what Elections Canada calls advertising calls from   
   fundraising calls. Both are currently included under the spending cap,   
   which is meant to ensure an even playing field for all candidates.   
   Exempting the fundraising calls would allow the parties with more money   
   to spend more hiring professional fundraisers to raise more money.   
   Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer   
      
   Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer. (Sean   
   Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)   
      
   "It is simply not possible to seek funds without including reasons for   
   giving, and this can only constitute advertising for or against a party   
   or a candidate. Moreover, it favours richer and established parties to   
      
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