Elections Modernization Act  The whole thing was an absolute shambles from when it started until the very end. If the Conservatives want to brag about the 2014 Fair Elections Act, or the unfair elections act, depending on what side of the House one is on, and if this bill does not go far enough to cut down on foreign intervention or interference in our elections, why did they not do something about in 2014?

Elections Modernization Act  In addition to rigging the election for the Liberals, the bill would attempt to undo everything that was done within the Fair Elections Act, which some members refer to as the unfair elections act, which is so very funny. There are many other things, in addition to these spending limits, that attempt to achieve democracy but would not. Second is the attempt to curtail foreign interference.

Elections Modernization Act  Looking at the strengthening of the position of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada and the ability to prosecute crimes that occur during elections, we have come a long way with Bill C-76, trying to undo the unfair elections act. Could the hon. member comment on how important it is for us to have a strong regime with respect to the Canada Elections Act and the implementation of our elections?

Elections Modernization Act  We heard witnesses' testimony that amounted to over 100 hours of study of this legislation, where Bill C-23, the unfair elections act, only had less than 50 hours. I am wondering if my colleague could speak to the dedication that we have put into this piece of legislation.

Elections Modernization Act  Speaker, a very good story is that we have a government that is actually listening and responding to what Canadians in all regions of our country want, namely modernization of the Canada Elections Act, changing many aspects of the unfair elections act that Stephen Harper brought in. The biggest difference is that there is wide support for this legislation that goes beyond one political party, whether it is the NDP or the Green Party.

Elections Modernization Act  The Liberals said that the bar was quite low, that their aim was to fix Stephen Harper's unfair elections act. It was not going to be hard to do; it just had to undo a bunch of the damage that the Conservatives had done in Bill C-23 in the last Parliament. The government introduced the bill.

Elections Modernization Act  It extends the right to vote to over a million Canadians abroad, and it repeals the element of the Harper Conservatives' so-called Fair Elections Act that made it harder for Canadians to vote, which is why of course so many people refer to Bill C-23 as the unfair elections act. I am currently the only female member of Parliament elected from Nova Scotia. In fact, I am only the ninth ever elected to represent my beautiful province since Confederation.

Elections Modernization Act  Madam Speaker, in his speech, the hon. member made reference to the unfair elections act of the previous Parliament. Coming off the last election, there was widespread agreement that those provisions should be repealed. We are now three years into the current government and have not seen a repeal of those provisions, even though I think there was a consensus for making that simple measure.

Elections Modernization Act  There are certain things that would be reinstated in this bill that were not there before under the so-called unfair elections act the former Conservative government had. I say so-called, because looking closely, there were a lot of issues with that bill. We would also reinstate the voter's information card as a piece of ID and reintroduce vouching, which was removed in the Conservative's bill.

Elections Modernization Act  Speaker, the people of Winnipeg believe that the strength of our democracy depends on the participation of as many Canadians as possible. This bill would undo many of the unfair aspects of the Harper government's unfair elections act, as we would be making it easier and more convenient for Canadians to vote. We would be making the electoral process more accessible to Canadians with disabilities, caregivers and members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and we would be restoring voting rights to more than one million Canadians living abroad.

Elections Modernization Act  There must have been some massive impediment that made them have to go back on their word and force time allocation on Parliament. The bill to fix the unfair elections act, which New Democrats support, was introduced almost two years ago. They must have been working hard in those two years in the hope of getting this legislation through in time for the next election.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Pardon me, Chair. I'd like to thank Mr. de Burgh Graham for not referring to it as the “unfair elections act”. That was gracious.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It has been 700 days since you introduced Bill C-33, which was the original effort to get rid of the unfair elections act. It's five months past the deadline that was set by Elections Canada to bring these changes to completion and into law. It more than two years after the broken promise to make 2015 the last election under the first-past-the-post system.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The New Democrats have expressed for more than a year and a half the urgency to want to reform our election laws, and in particular get rid of the so-called unfair elections act changes that were made unilaterally in the previous Parliament, which I think sought to disenfranchise certain Canadians, particularly low-income, indigenous and young Canadians, making it harder for them to vote.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  If necessary, given the importance of this bill in taking out the ugliness that's in there from the unfair elections act, I will stand in that chamber and support a motion that orders the House to start clause-by-clause. I don't want to do that any more than anybody else, so if my idea won't work—and that's fine, I don't say I have great ideas—somebody else put another idea on the floor.