Stop C-23 | Unpublished
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ferrell.tara@gmail.com's picture
St.Catharines, Ontario
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Stop C-23

April 11, 2014

The right to vote is something that is afforded all Canadians. And, when the Government is looking to disenfranchise over half a million voters who coincidentally are known to not vote for them, it's time to make some noise. Canadians in large part do not back this bill, yet Stephen Harper keeps telling us that we do. So I figured it was time that we the citizens pick up pen and tell him and all MP's exactly what we do think of this bill. I hope to encourage others to write even just their own MP or Stephen Harper. We need to let them know exactly how we feel about the "Fair Elections Act".

Bill C-23 is a travesty. To overhaul our election laws without consulting the rest of Parliament shows the complete and utter disregard that the Conservative Government has for Canada. With the Robocalls scandal and the Michael Sona trial occurring, there is no coincidence that Stephen Harper is trying to push his "Fair Election Act" through, an act that is anything but fair. Nothing suspicious. Nope. Nothing at all.

This act isn't fair. It is, however, a slap in the face to democracy and to all Canadians. It is trying to stifle the voice of Canadians, rather than giving them one. Instead of encouraging Canadians to vote, Mr. Harper feels the need to forbid Elections Canada from doing so. For someone who likes to preach democracy and fair elections to other countries, Stephen Harper sure doesn't know how to engage in them at home.

It appears he prefers to take a page out of the Republican book south of the border. Well, we're in Canada. And here we like fair elections. We don't like dirty tricks, cheating, fraud, voter suppression or slimy attack ads. And if he feels the need to overhaul the election laws (and they DO need to be changed), if he really believes in democracy, and really believes in a Government for the people, then he must go to the people, ask their opinions first, and then debate it in the House of Commons. Like they do in a true democracy.

Voting is a right afforded all Canadians, it shouldn't only be for those that can afford it.

Stop Bill C-23.