A petition opposing some of the Conservative government’schanges to the Elections Act with over 50,000 signatures fromacross Canada was presented this week on Parliament Hill,with the support of Members of Parliament from the NDP,Liberals and the Green Party.
OTTAWA — A petition opposingsome of the Conservativegovernment’s changes to theElections Act with over 50,000signatures from across Canadawas presented this week onParliament Hill, with the supportof Members of Parliamentfrom the NDP, Liberals and theGreen Party.“There is a growing groundswellof citizens’ opposition to thisrush to rewrite elections laws inCanada,” said Adam Shedletzky,co-founder of Leadnow.ca.The petition calls on Membersof Parliament to stop US-stylevoter suppression from becomingCanadian law. The proposedchanges to the election lawinclude stricter voter ID requirementsthat are similar to measuresemployed by USRepublicans for their own electoraladvantage.“Canadians want to be able toparticipate in creating a newelection law that impacts ourdemocratic rights,” saidShedletzky. “People are callingfor the Conservative governmentto remove measures in theproposed elections law thatwould suppress the votes ofyoung, Aboriginal and lowincomepeople. Instead, theywant the government to addressthe real threat by giving electionwatchdogs the power theyspecifically requested to investigatefraud organized by politicaloperatives.” The petition signershave also taken their campaignto the airwaves, with hundredsdonating online to pay for radioads in the ridings ofConservative Members of theStanding Committee onProcedure and House Affairsthat is beginning to study thebill. Members of Parliamentfrom three Opposition partieswere present at the petitiondelivery, to signal their supportfor the campaign. MPs in attendancewere Craig Scott, DavidChristopherson andAlexandrine Latendresse fromthe NDP, Stephane Dion andScott Simms from the LiberalParty of Canada and GreenParty Leader Elizabeth May.
