XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: man.politics, sk.politics, ont.politics   
   From: gregcarrsober@gmail.com   
      
   On 17/04/2014 5:33 PM, {~_~} Раиса wrote:   
   >   
   > 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.”   
      
   I'm more of an everyday Cdn than Poilievre is and I don't support this   
   bill at all.   
   >   
   > “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   
   > Do you have the right ID to cast a ballot in a federal election?   
   > Election bill doesn't close parties' privacy gaps   
   >   
   > 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   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)