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Results: 1 - 15 of 238
View Craig Scott Profile
NDP (ON)
View Craig Scott Profile
2013-06-12 14:39 [p.18173]
Mr. Speaker, today is day 457 of the government's inaction on amendments to the Canada Elections Act. After announcing back in April he was finally about to table the bill, the minister then did an about-face hours after meeting with the Conservative caucus.
What happened at that Conservative caucus meeting to cause the minister to put this bill on ice? Will he finally table the bill before we rise this summer, yes or no?
View Tim Uppal Profile
CPC (AB)
View Tim Uppal Profile
2013-06-12 14:40 [p.18174]
Mr. Speaker, our government takes election reform very seriously. That is why we are taking the time to ensure that we get it right.
We committed to introducing legislation in this regard, and we will.
View Alexandrine Latendresse Profile
NDP (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the minister says they want to take the time to do things properly, but that is not good enough. The legislation has to be introduced soon if we want the rules to be in effect by the time the next election rolls around.
On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 57 days ago, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform stated that, “our government is pleased to announce that it will introduce comprehensive legislation on Thursday”.
Eight Thursdays have passed since then. I am guessing that pigs will fly before we see even a hint of a bill.
Will the minister stop stalling, stop beating around the bush, and introduce a bill before the House rises for the summer?
View Tim Uppal Profile
CPC (AB)
View Tim Uppal Profile
2013-06-12 14:41 [p.18174]
Mr. Speaker, as we have committed, we will introduce legislation on election reform.
View Jamie Nicholls Profile
NDP (QC)
View Jamie Nicholls Profile
2013-06-05 20:25 [p.17759]
Mr. Speaker, all across our great country, Canadians are struggling and going through financial hardships. Living pay cheque to pay cheque and relying on credit cards to make ends meet has become the reality for thousands of Canadians under the current government.
I would also like to say that I am splitting my time with the amazing member for Trinity—Spadina.
Yet here we are debating whether the Conservative government should give $58 million of taxpayer money to the unelected, unaccountable and undemocratic Senate. This does not represent the best interests of Canadians, which we are here to do.
The Fathers of Confederation envisioned the Senate to be an academic, non-partisan body of sober second thought. Instead, it has been turned into a tool of patronage for Liberals and Conservatives alike.
I would like to share with the House that my political awakening as a teenager, when I was 13, was the 1984 federal election. For those members of the House who remember that, it was Brian Mulroney versus John Turner. It was Brian Mulroney of the Progressive Conservatives, which no longer exist, they are now, I would say, the regressive Conservatives. In the televised debate of that federal election, Brian Mulroney, who was a Conservative, lambasted John Turner for doing a raft of patronage appointments that were asked of him by the former Prime Minister Trudeau. Conservatives at that time said that the Liberals had the option of not doing it.
However, in the past 30 years we have seen that Conservatives and Liberals alike have used the Senate as their patronage dumping ground, at the expense of the taxpayer. All we are asking tonight is to take pause and reflect. Does that chamber deserve the money that the taxpayers are paying for it? We just want to pause and reflect, and see if the money is being well spent over there. As Canadians have seen over the past couple of weeks, I think they would agree with most of the members of the NDP that it is not being spent well, that taxpayer funds are being misused.
That election in 1984 started off with Brian Mulroney riding into Ottawa on a white horse to clean up Ottawa, to get rid of the patronage appointments and it ended in 1993 with two members of the Progressive Conservatives remaining in the House, with division in the country. The same thing is going to happen in 2015. After nine years of power, the current government is going to end up a small rump, if anything, in the House, with a New Democratic government in power.
The Senate is an institution full of scandal and lies and it is a stain on Canadian democracy. I am proud to say that I am a New Democrat and I am proud to say that I am part of a party that does now and has always called for even when—
View Dean Allison Profile
CPC (ON)
View Dean Allison Profile
2013-05-09 14:10 [p.16573]
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express our government's concern regarding the recent violence and targeted attacks in Pakistan in advance of this weekend's general election. Our sympathy goes out to the victims and their families.
The deliberate targeting of candidates by terrorist groups in Pakistan is an attack on the democratic rights of all candidates, democratic institutions and governance. Canada commends the commitment to democracy of the more than 4,600 candidates standing for office federally, the 11,000 standing provincially and the 86 million Pakistani citizens registered to vote. We express our unequivocal support for free, credible and transparent elections in Pakistan.
The 2013 general elections are an historic moment for that country where political authority is being passed from one elected government to another. We believe it is essential for Pakistan's continued democratic development that women and men in all parts of Pakistan feel safe to commit their energy to the democratic process by standing for election and voting without fear.
View Joyce Murray Profile
Lib. (BC)
View Joyce Murray Profile
2013-05-02 14:55 [p.16221]
Mr. Speaker, fair elections are the cornerstone of Canada's democracy, and Elections Canada is our watchdog.
The Conservatives were found guilty of fraud in election 2006. They were accused of fraud in 2008. They are under investigation for fraud in 2011. These election problems are increasing. A new report notes that Elections Canada actually needs more money to deal with this, but the government is slashing its budget instead.
Just what do the Conservatives have to hide?
View Tim Uppal Profile
CPC (AB)
View Tim Uppal Profile
2013-05-02 14:55 [p.16221]
Mr. Speaker, we have serious concerns over what the Supreme Court called the Liberals' “...attempt to disenfranchise entitled voters and so undermine public confidence in the electoral process”. This was regarding the last election.
That member knows very well that Elections Canada has access to unlimited financial resources for elections and investigations. That said, an independent audit highlighted widespread errors in Elections Canada's operations during the last election. We will bring forward amendments to the law in the not-too-distant future.
View David Christopherson Profile
NDP (ON)
View David Christopherson Profile
2013-05-01 14:21 [p.16137]
Mr. Speaker, elections in Canada are nearing a crisis. A new report is pointing to many serious problems from the last campaign. Half the documents that were audited contained errors. There were errors in 165,000 cases; 500 errors per riding. These are the kinds of errors that could overturn election results.
With Elections Canada facing all these serious challenges, why on earth would the Conservatives choose now to cut the budget of Elections Canada by 8%?
View Stephen Harper Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, the suggestions for savings at Elections Canada were produced by Elections Canada itself, and after the election campaign.
Obviously, Elections Canada is independent. It has set up an audit that has exposed some quality control issues. I think Elections Canada will obviously accept the recommendations of that audit and we will look at those recommendations as we move forward with changes to elections law.
View David Christopherson Profile
NDP (ON)
View David Christopherson Profile
2013-05-01 14:22 [p.16137]
Mr. Speaker, it is the Conservatives' budget, so it is the Conservatives' cuts to Elections Canada. The fact is, Conservatives are cutting the budget of Elections Canada and they are weakening our electoral system.
Elections Canada is already stretched thin investigating thousands of allegations of wrongdoing from the 2011 election without the legislative tools it needs. In fact, the government has delayed promised amendments to the Elections Act for over a year. It is clear the government is deliberately dragging its heels on giving Elections Canada the power it needs. Why are the Conservatives afraid of a chief electoral officer with real pull?
View Stephen Harper Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, we have no such fear. In fact, we have committed to come through with amendments to do precisely that.
The fact of the matter is, it is only in the last few weeks that Elections Canada has made its own recommendations in this regard. We are looking specifically at those recommendations, and as the government has indicated, we will be bringing forward amendments to the law in the not too distant future.
View Alexandrine Latendresse Profile
NDP (QC)
Mr. Speaker, in the spring of 2010, Elections Canada recommended that it be given more investigative powers so that we could better combat election fraud.
It has been three years, and the Conservatives have done nothing.
Last spring, the Conservatives promised to take action on this within six months. It has been a year and the Conservatives have yet to do anything.
The situation is not getting better. Last month, Elections Canada suggested other reforms. It has been a year and we have seen nothing.
The minister keeps going on about a reform that is supposedly on the way, but we have been waiting for years.
He is all talk and no action. When will he finally take action?
View Tim Uppal Profile
CPC (AB)
View Tim Uppal Profile
2013-04-16 14:58 [p.15497]
Mr. Speaker, Canadians' confidence in the integrity of our election system has been challenged.
Our government will introduce comprehensive election reform proposals to increase accountability, accessibility, and integrity in Canada's elections system.
View Craig Scott Profile
NDP (ON)
View Craig Scott Profile
2013-04-16 14:58 [p.15497]
Mr. Speaker, I would like to first congratulate the minister for having graduated from promising legislation in due course yesterday to promising it in the near future.
With the recent charges, we are a step closer to catching those behind the fraud scheme in the last election. The Chief Electoral Officer recently said that election law reforms “...need to be enacted by spring 2014 to give Elections Canada enough time to fully integrate them in time” for the next general election.
These reforms are obviously urgently needed, so one more time: when are we going to see this legislation?
Results: 1 - 15 of 238 | Page: 1 of 16

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