What is going on in the minds of those that shape voting legislation? Received in my email box:
April 14, 2014
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Ottawa Ontario
Beverley Shipley, MP
Lambton-Kent Middlesex
Dear Mr. Harper and Mr. Shipley:
The Fair Elections Act is the most vile piece of legislation ever tabled in the House of Commons by a Conservative Party. Contrary to the title, it is anything but fair. No single piece of legislation has ever launched such an assault on the democratic process in Canada. Naming it the Fair Elections Act is the epitome of cynicism!
Clearly it continues the long standing assault that Stephen Harper has launched against the democratic process since he became Prime Minister. It's now more than obvious—he is fearful of the democratic process and wishes to curtail it.
If passed, Stephen Harper will become the only Prime Minister in Canadian history to restrict the franchise by removing voters. Prime ministers normally expand the franchise; Mr. Harper is doing the opposite.
This legislation will target the most vulnerable Canadians and restrict their right to vote, namely the poor, the elderly and the Native People, and in many cases university students. How shameful! But it is so patently clear—these are the very persons who may not vote for you, so you will make it more difficult for them to vote!
How disgusting to launch assaults on the Chief Electoral Officers of Canada! And the assault on Sheila Fraser is beneath contempt! Have you people no shame? Politicizing the adjudication appeal process is appalling.
By increasing the amount of money that can be contributed by individuals to political parties, you are increasing the political influence of the moneyed class. Of course, these are your people.
Further, the restrictions on election-day vouching will aggravate disenfranchisement; thousands of the most vulnerable voters in Canada will be targeted. But this is your intent.
I watched and heard Alberta Conservative Blake Richards try to defend the Fair Elections Acct by saying that many experts have defended the proposed changes. But when asked repeatedly to name those experts he was unable to do so. Was he lying?
I watched and heard Conservative Senator Tom McInnis say that he witnessed 1000s of cases of voting fraud in Halifax, but he did not report them. Did he make this up?
I watched Minister for State Pierre Poilievre, Mr. Harper's attack dog, smear two of the most respected officers of Parliament in order to discredit their criticism. Impugning their integrity is appalling to say the least! Of course this is the normal Conservative strategy. When Conservatives cannot logically refute valid criticism, they resort to character assassination and attack ads. Why do you engage in such unethical behaviour?
I have read the five lead editorials in the Globe and Mail, each one levelling a thoughtful and devastating critique of the legislation. To date you have not dealt with the Globe's critique. Don't you get it? This is terrible legislation!
Political scientists from all across Canada have condemned this legislation. And an international panel of 19 scholars has entered the debate and added their voices of condemnation. But then I heard Tony Clement say that Conservatives didn't have to listen to experts. How arrogant and condescending! That's why the legislation is so bad! With this legislation Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are the laughing stock of Europe. Even some Africans are giving you a bad press! Canada has lost the right to advise anyone on how to build a democracy.
In spite of weeks of incessant and devastating criticism, Minister Poilievre continues to pigheadedly defend the legislation and malign the integrity of its critics. He has no credibility left. But he is not entirely responsible for this fiasco. He is the attack dog following the ideological orders of the Prime Minister of Canada, not to mention the PMO.
Many Conservative MPs have said they haven't heard from Canadians. That is a bald faced lie. I have written to many of them before. The Fair Elections Act is morally and politically bankrupt! It must be radically revised, withdrawn or rejected.
Donald M. Santor
Grand Bend, Ontario
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