Thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you this evening.
I find it somewhat ironic that just over 50 years ago aboriginal peoples were granted the right to vote in Canada, and here we are just a short while later struggling to defend their rights. This has been a huge reminder of how fragile democracy is and how vigilant we have to be to protect it.
I am Leilani Farha, the executive director of Canada Without Poverty.
CWP, whose board of directors is composed of people living in poverty from every province and territory, is deeply concerned with the impact of the fair elections act on the right of poor people to vote in Canada. In particular we are concerned that the bill bans Elections Canada from promoting the right to vote, and we're concerned about the elimination of vouch voting without a suitable alternative. I'll address each of these in turn.
The ban on Elections Canada from promoting the vote is simply illogical. It is illogical in the face of the lowest voter turnout in our history, suggesting a near complete loss of faith in the democratic process by a huge percentage of Canadians. As well, it is illogical in light of the fact that poor people are experiencing unprecedented social and political exclusion. Surely it is precisely now, in the moment of this democratic deficit, that Parliament should be pouring resources into efforts to promote the vote. Elections Canada must be allowed to continue to do its work to foster democracy.
With respect to vouch voting, CWP is concerned that its elimination without a suitable alternative will disenfranchise tens of thousands of low-income voters and violate their section 3 charter rights. Vouch voting is used particularly by those who are poor, homeless, or otherwise marginalized. Though the government seems to find it incredible that over 100,000 people in Canada don't have adequate ID for voting purposes, it's a reality.
Let me give you one example from my work. Imagine a woman living in a situation of domestic violence. In the midst of a particularly brutal incident she manages to escape to safety by fleeing to a friend's house. She leaves behind all of her belongings, including her wallet, thinking only about saving her life. She has no photo ID, no proof of residence. She has nothing but the clothes she is wearing. Eliminating vouch voting is not going to provide this woman with voter-appropriate identification. Eliminating vouch voting will do only one thing. It will prevent her from exercising her right to vote.
What troubles CWP about all of this is that the government has yet to articulate an understanding of how important the right to vote is, particularly for those who are socially and politically excluded. Perhaps they don't know.
Imagine being the woman I just described. She has absolutely nothing. Ensuring that she has the right to vote allows her to be more than just her circumstances. It allows her to engage her nation and it restores something to her. As the South African constitutional court said so simply, “The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood.” Why wouldn't the government want to ensure the right to vote for this woman? Isn't that what democracy requires?
CWP is offended that Minister Poilievre wants us to imagine that allowing this woman to vote might compromise the electoral system. The minister has invented the myth of fraud by conflating fraud with vouching irregularities. I remind this committee that no evidence of fraud has been found with vouch voting, only administrative errors.
In conclusion, CWP recommends that the government just pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that it is about to deprive tens of thousands of disadvantaged Canadians of their democratic citizenship and their constitutionally protected right to vote.
CWP recommends that Bill C-23 be rejected in its entirety. If the bill continues to stand, however, we recommend at a minimum the following: first, the provisions narrowing Elections Canada's mandate with respect to promoting voting be removed from Bill C-23; and second, and this has two parts, maintain vouching and fix it so it functions more effectively, or adopt a new system for in-person identification that treats voters with dignity and respect.
Thank you.