Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, Sheila Fraser believes that the electoral reform bill would limit the powers of the Chief Electoral Officer to hire the staff needed to hold elections. Under Bill C-23, the government will have to give its approval before election staff are hired.

Democratic Reform  Speaker, let us continue with our constructive criticism while the Minister of State for Democratic Reform pretends that everything is just fine. Sheila Fraser fears that the Chief Electoral Officer will no longer be consulted regarding the appointment of the commissioner and that no one who has ever worked at Elections Canada will be able to apply.

Democratic Reform  It seems that the only thing the minister is really successful at is undermining the faith of the public in our voting system. Sheila Fraser pointed out that the government has been suggesting that officers of Parliament are biased against the government and cannot be trusted. Why are the Conservatives attacking officers of this Parliament?

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, we think it should be a lot easier for the government to say the words “Sheila Fraser”. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons sent a letter to the committee studying the unfair elections act. He suggested that anyone who has ever worked for Elections Canada was somehow tainted.

Former Auditor General  Mr. Speaker, there was a time when Conservatives listened to Sheila Fraser and acknowledged her expertise, but that time seems to have passed. Now they are treating her like every other watchdog who questions them, including people like Kevin Page, who dared to tell the truth.

Democratic Reform  It is much easier for him to attack elections experts than someone he has blithely used for political purposes. Sheila Fraser is saying exactly the same thing as Neufeld, Côté, Mayrand, Corbett, and the list goes on. What does the Minister for Democratic Reform think of Ms. Fraser's criticisms?

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, the minister truly is delusional. Back in 2004, the Prime Minister said Sheila Fraser's “competence and her courage have shone a bright light on the mismanagement, incompetence and corruption that this Liberal government has been trying to hide for more than a decade”.

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of State for Democratic Reform know Sheila Fraser? If so, has he read her position on Bill C-23? If so, what does he think about the former auditor general's criticism of the electoral reform?

Democratic Reform  Mr. Speaker, Sheila Fraser did not pull punches when she was investigating Liberal corruption during the sponsorship scandal. She is a Canadian hero, and she has been clear on the Conservatives' unfair elections act.

Business of the House  Mr. Speaker, it is fair to say that it has been a tough week for the government. Ms. Sheila Fraser, who is a personal hero to many Canadians for standing up and speaking the truth, has condemned the unfair elections act as an attack on democracy. Her voice is joined with those of current and former chief electoral officers, current and former elections commissioners, many witnesses, and Canadians who are speaking internationally as well.

Democratic Reform  I have a simple question for the minister. If Harry Neufeld, William Corbett, Richard Hasen and Sheila Fraser are “so-called” experts, how can he himself claim to have sufficient knowledge of the subject?

Democratic Reform  The Chief Electoral Officer has said that this reform is going to silence Elections Canada; investigators are saying that this reform is going to prevent them from investigating; and today, we learned that the former auditor general, Sheila Fraser, is adding her voice to the group of experts stating clearly that this bill is anti-democratic. Will he finally admit that the one and only goal of the bill is to help the Conservative Party?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's a valid point. Whether it's Sheila Fraser, past chief electoral officers, our current Chief Electoral Officer, or well over 120—or it might even be 160—political academics from all across Canada, there's this mounting opposition to this bill.

Democratic Reform  Speaker, some time ago, the Chief Electoral Officer formed an advisory board of notable Canadians like Michael Wilson, Preston Manning, and Sheila Fraser. Given the government's attacks on the CEO, will the Minister of State for Democratic Reform assure Canadians that the Treasury Board would never deny requests under Bill C-23's proposed subsection 20(1) to cover costs associated with engaging these advisors on a temporary basis?

Government Operations committee  It's difficult for me to say what that would be. I'm going back many years here. I think Sheila Fraser first raised issues around the size of the EI surplus in one of her auditor general's reports many years ago. That was a long-standing issue of the past. As I said, they've hit the reset button with new legislation to zero out and start afresh, and it is a new regime.