The Liberals introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at expanding voting access and targeting electoral interference and the spread of disinformation.
Bill C-65 introduces a suite of amendments to the Canada Elections Act as part of the Liberals’ political pact with the NDP. But it delays two key aspects of that agreement: spreading the official election day over three days and allowing voters to vote at any polling station in their riding.
Speaking to reporters after the bill was tabled, Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc and NDP democratic reform critic Daniel Blaikie said Elections Canada raised concerns about implementing those two reforms before the next election.
The Liberals’ agreement with the NDP proposed to allow voters to cast their ballot at any polling station in their riding. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
If passed, C-65 would instead aim to implement those changes by 2029, while asking Canada’s chief electoral officer to report back to Parliament on progress toward those changes in the meantime.
LeBlanc said it’s “certainly our hope” that those changes could be made sooner.
“The principal objective was to improve access to ballots, improve the ability of Canadians to participate in the electoral system,” he said. “Elections Canada identified some reasonable concerns.”
LeBlanc said allowing voters to cast their ballot at any polling station in their riding would require Elections Canada to adopt new technology so that a person would be removed from the voter list across the district once their ballot is cast.
For an expanded, three-day voting period, LeBlanc said Elections Canada’s concerns were more “operational” because it would have to ensure that buildings typically used as polling stations — such as schools and religious centres — would be available for more than one day.
Blaikie said Elections Canada’s concerns were understandable.
“We wanted to be sensitive to those concerns. We wanted to make progress but do it in a way that’s realizable,” he said.
NDP MP Daniel Blaikie rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
The legislation does include proposals that, if passed, could be implemented in time for the next election. Those proposals include the addition of two extra days of advance voting and making the “Vote on Campus” program for post-secondary students permanent.
Canadians who wish to vote by mail would also be able to register for a mail-in-ballot online and return their ballot to their polling station in person if they missed the mailing deadline. The bill also contains provisions to allow for more flexibility for voting in long-term care facilities.
The bill also contains a suite of measures the government says are meant to safeguard election integrity. Those measures include prohibiting political donations made through money orders, prepaid gift cards and cryptocurrencies. The government says it also would expand third party contribution rules to target donations being made by foreign entities.
Current laws about impersonating a candidate would also be expanded to cover artificial intelligence or “deep fakes.”
The bill also would make it an offence to “make false statements” about the electoral process, such as misleading statements about who is allowed to vote and how to register to vote.
Federal law requires that the next election be held no later than October 2025.
LeBlanc said the intention is for parliamentarians to “ensure that this legislation can be in place as quickly as possible.”
FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.
Born: March 1, 1954.
Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.
Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.
Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.
Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.
Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.
Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.
The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.
The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.
Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.
Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.
The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
GATINEAU, Que. – Treasury Board President Anita Anand will take on the additional role of transport minister this afternoon, after Pablo Rodriguez resigned from cabinet to run for the Quebec Liberal leadership.
A government source who was not authorized to speak publicly says Anand will be sworn in at a small ceremony at Rideau Hall.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos will become the government’s new Quebec lieutenant, but he is not expected to be at the ceremony because that is not an official role in cabinet.
Rodriguez announced this morning that he’s leaving cabinet and the federal Liberal caucus and will sit as an Independent member of Parliament until January.
That’s when the Quebec Liberal leadership race is set to officially begin.
Rodriguez says sitting as an Independent will allow him to focus on his own vision, but he plans to vote with the Liberals on a non-confidence motion next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
