By: Maude Barlow Jessica McCormick Published on Tue Mar 11 2014 “What if you can’t trust the election?” That’s the question Sandra McEwing found herself asking. She was one of thousands of people who received a misleading call during the 2011 election telling her that her polling station had moved. So she stepped forward as part of a legal challenge that sought to get to the bottom of the widespread fraud in the 2011 election. But three years later, we still don’t know who was responsible. And if the Unfair Elections Act passes, we probably never will. Bill C-23, the “Fair” Elections Act is one of the most destructive things the Harper government has ever tried to do. It is far more serious than proroguing Parliament at whim, curbing the rights of MPs, or centralizing power in the Prime Minister’s Office. It’s even more serious than muzzling scientists, statisticians and others who disagree with the government. That’s because the Act is an attack on the most fundamental right of all citizens in a democracy – the right to cast a ballot in an election that is fair and free from corruption and dirty tricks. The Unfair Elections Act is also a way to cover up the electoral fraud that took place during the last election. The Federal Court found that there was widespread fraudulent activity, that it was targeted at non-Conservative voters, and that it reduced voter turnout. And, most damning of all, the judge stated in his verdict that “the most likely source of the information used to make the misleading calls was the CIMS database maintained and controlled by the CPC [Conservative Party of Canada].” To date, the Conservatives have refused to disclose the list of people who had access to the database. And the Act does nothing to rein in the abuse of party databases in the future. If passed, the Act will stop efforts to hold the Conservative Party accountable for its dirty tricks. Furthermore, the Unfair Elections Act would silence the Chief Electoral Officer. He would not be able to report on complaints of fraud. Canadians have the right to know if election fraud has been reported, and if it is being investigated. The fact that this bill would prevent this most basic information from being shared with voters is deeply troubling. Nor would the Chief Electoral Officer be able to report on candidates who violate spending laws, like several Conservative MPs have been accused of doing. He couldn’t even encourage young people or new citizens to vote. Voting would also become much more difficult. By eliminating the use of voter cards as identification and scrapping the vouching system, the Act would disenfranchise vulnerable voters, including students, seniors, rural residents, and indigenous peoples. With so much at stake, the government must hold cross-country public hearings on the bill. A real Fair Elections Act requires meaningful public consultation and a fair parliamentary process. So far the Harper Conservatives are failing on both these measures. This is not a partisan political issue. This is about our democracy. We need supporters of all political parties, including the Conservatives, to join with our Chief Electoral Officer and tell our government that this is an affront to our democracy. “Who sits around and comes up with ideas to trick me out of my vote?” asked McEwing, after she found herself the victim of electoral fraud. If we had a truly Fair Elections Act, maybe we’d find out. Maude Barlow is the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. Jessica McCormick is the National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. . We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:18:06 +0000
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