Conservatives vote against democracy

NDP deputy leader David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre) made the following statement on the defeat of his motion to force cross-country hearings on the Conservative election bill, C-23:

The Conservatives have repeatedly broken Canada’s election laws. To avoid accountability, they introduced Bill C-23 – a blatant scheme to reduce the Chief Electoral Officer’s powers and make voting more difficult for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

New Democrats believe that when a core part of our democracy like the Canada Elections Act is being changed, Canadians must be consulted. We fought the Conservatives’ affront to Canada’s democracy and dedicated an opposition day motion to compel them to hold cross-country hearings on this bill.

Unfortunately the Conservatives voted against giving Canadians from all regions a voice, proving once again that they cannot be trusted when it comes to making our elections laws better.

While Conservatives are making it harder for Canadians to vote, the NDP is on your side – focused on protecting your right to vote and finding practical solutions to the challenges facing your family.