Bill C-31 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act

This bill is from the 39th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in October 2007.

Sponsor

Peter Van Loan  Conservative

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act to improve the integrity of the electoral process by reducing the opportunity for electoral fraud or error. It requires that electors, before voting, provide one piece of government-issued photo identification showing their name and address or two pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer showing their name and address, or take an oath and be vouched for by another elector.
It also amends the Canada Elections Act to, among other things, make operational changes to improve the accuracy of the National Register of Electors, facilitate voting and enhance communications with the electorate.
It amends the Public Service Employment Act to permit the Public Service Commission to make regulations to extend the maximum term of employment of casual workers.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-31s:

C-31 (2022) Law Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2 (Targeted Support for Households)
C-31 (2021) Reducing Barriers to Reintegration Act
C-31 (2016) Law Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
C-31 (2014) Law Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1

Votes

June 18, 2007 Passed That a message be sent to the Senate to acquaint their Honours that this House agrees with amendments numbered 1 to 11 made by the Senate to Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act; And that this House agrees with the principles set out in amendment 12 but would propose the following amendment: Senate amendment 12 be amended as follows: Clause 42, page 17: (a) Replace line 23 with the following: "17 to 19 and 34 come into force 10 months" (b) Add after line 31 the following: "(3) Paragraphs 162( i.1) and (i.2) of the Canada Elections Act, as enacted by section 28, come into force six months after the day on which this Act receives royal assent unless, before that day, the Chief Electoral Officer publishes a notice in the Canada Gazette that the necessary preparations have been made for the bringing into operation of the provisions set out in the notice and that they may come into force on the day set out in the notice.".
Feb. 20, 2007 Passed That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass.
Feb. 20, 2007 Passed That this question be now put.
Feb. 6, 2007 Passed That Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act, as amended, be concurred in at report stage.
Feb. 6, 2007 Failed That Bill C-31 be amended by deleting Clause 21.
Feb. 6, 2007 Failed That Bill C-31 be amended by deleting Clause 18.

Procedure and House Affairs Committee, on Nov. 23, 2006

Procedure and House Affairs Committee, on Nov. 28, 2006

  • Marcel Blanchet, Chief Electoral Officer & President of the Commission for Electoral Representation, Élections Québec
  • Murray Mollard, Executive Director, British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
  • Tina Marie Bradford, Lawyer, As an Individual
  • Jim Quail, Executive Director, British Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre

Procedure and House Affairs Committee, on Dec. 5, 2006

  • Rob Hepburn, National Communications Officer, Canadian Federation of Students
  • Mary-Martha Hale, Chair, Alliance to End Homelessness in Ottawa and Executive Director of the Anglican Social Services - Centre 454, As an Individual
  • Barbara Carroll, Executive Director, Debra Dynes Family House, and Chair of the Coalition of Community Houses Ottawa, As an Individual
  • William Nothing, As an Individual

Procedure and House Affairs Committee, on Dec. 7, 2006

Procedure and House Affairs Committee, on Dec. 12, 2006

  • Marc Chénier, Counsel, Legislation and House Planning, Privy Council Office
  • Natasha Kim, Senior Policy Advisor, Legislation and House Planning, Privy Council Office
  • Dan McDougall, Director of Operations, Legislation and House Planning, Privy Council Office
  • Raymond MacCallum, Counsel, Human Rights Law Section, Department of Justice
  • Joann Garbig, Procedural Clerk