America’s Republican Party has voter-suppression as a key part of its election strategy. Their big-money donors paid for billboards in minority communities that boldly proclaimed, “Voter Fraud is a Felony!”
But, when GOP operatives committed voter fraud, their allies emulated Emily Litella’s “Never mind!”
People from what Michael Harris called the Cheating Party of Canada said the same thing about their own party’s chicanery. Conservatives are still committed to the Republican value of opposing voter fraud, if someone else is doing it. Like their American mentors, HarperCons protest electoral manipulations even more strongly when no one is doing it.
Bill C-76 amends the Canada Elections Act to establish spending limits for third parties and political parties before a general election. It also establishes measures to increase transparency regarding the participation of third parties in the electoral process.
Conservatives opposed Bill C-76 from the start. They preferred the Harper Government’s C-23 legislation, which some call the unfair elections act. It was opposed by Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand as well as university professors from across Canada.
In the Senate, Conservative Senator Boisvenu complained, “Bill C-76 is a massive, 256-page bill…” He conveniently forgets that HarperCons perfected the art of omnibus bills as they tried to carry out a slow-motion coup d’etat.
Following are material intents of Bill C-76:
This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act to establish spending limits for third parties and political parties… It also establishes measures to increase transparency regarding the participation of third parties in the electoral process. Among other things that it does in this regard, the enactment
(a) adds reporting requirements for third parties engaging in partisan activities, partisan advertising, and election surveys to the reporting requirements for third parties engaging in election advertising…
(c) creates an obligation for political parties and third parties to identify themselves in partisan advertising during the defined period before the election period.
The enactment also amends the Act to implement measures to reduce barriers to participation and increase accessibility…
(b) broadens the application of accommodation measures to all persons with a disability, irrespective of its nature…
(g) removes limitations on public education and information activities conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer;
(h) …extends voting hours on advance polling days.
The enactment also amends the Act to modernize voting services, facilitate enforcement and improve various aspects of the administration of elections and of political financing…
(k) provides the Commissioner of Canada Elections with the authority to lay charges;
(l) provides the Commissioner of Canada Elections with the power to apply for a court order requiring testimony or a written return…
(n) implements a number of measures to harmonize and streamline political financing monitoring and reporting…
Thirty Senators voted against C-76 because the Bill moves Canada in a direction opposite to the undemocratic way preferred by right-wingers. It’s worth noting the average age of the naysayers was 66 and most of them were male.
That may indicate a fundamental problem faced by the party that proudly dropped the word Progressive from its name.
Categories: Conservatives (CPC)
IN-SIGHTS 
The voter fraud gimmick; get all the holier than thou types on their high horses and charge off into the night at a phantom.
Works well in the USA where voting machines can be manipulated and corruption is rife.
Not so much in Canada, but still the right wing charge away and taint everyone with the “fear” of voter fraud.
As Roosevelt said; “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
What is more important concern is electoral manipulation, where well placed scare tactics are let loose in all media format, to scare people into voting one way.
It works very well for Trump.
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Pete Qu. question is fun. Yes I noticed who/what was missing, females and people of colour. The picture was of white European descent males. What a riot.
Once you take money out of politics, many just won’t be interested. It would come down to good ideas, principles, hard work, the sort of stuff some just don’t want to engage in. Its just so much easier to pay for some one else to do the work.
If money were taken out of politics, there would be no need to “repay” your financial supporters. Politicians might just vote according to what the majority in their riding wanted. OMG, the terror, the terror, no money in politics or a level playing field for all. Yikes. what would corporations do? what would those who make their livings off of politics do?
If we don’t get ahead of the “problem” we will be consumed by it like the Americans have.
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Bill C-76 is so in the interests of having a working democracy. Why is it so hard for the Conservatives to articulate this bill with any reason as to why its a bad thing for Canadians??
It makes one wonder what principals they do have to engage a democracy with.
I suppose they are overwelmed with the primal lust for pure power, and the
the zoo is far more fun??
Throwing peanuts from the gallery is it??
Protesters look so decent in comparison.
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“Pierre Poutine” was a Conservative. Bill C-76 might save future Conservatives from themselves. They should therefore embrace it.
“Sona was the first and, to date, only person ever convicted of endeavoring to prevent an elector from voting.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Sona
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