Gov’t Willing to Drop Elections Bill Change Securing Pensions for MPs: Minister

Chief Electoral Officer to provide testimony to House Committee regarding meeting with Liberals and NDP on Elections Bill

November 12, 2024 TruthUSA

Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault is scheduled to testify before the House Affairs committee regarding a meeting he participated in with the Liberals and NDP to discuss potential revisions to the Elections Act. Some Conservative MPs have deemed this meeting as “unusual.”

A Elections Canada spokesperson told Blacklock’s Reporter that “Elections Canada was asked to attend a meeting in Ottawa to provide its technical expertise. The Chief Electoral Officer answered questions,” and Perrault will share details of the meeting during his testimony.

The spokesperson further mentioned that Perrault is eager to offer his perspectives to the committee.

The meeting took place on Jan. 25 at the Parliament Hill Office of Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, as reported by Blacklock’s. Participants included Perrault and delegates from the NDP and the Prime Minister’s Office. The discussions centered around Bill C-65, An Act To Amend The Canada Elections Act, which was later introduced in the House of Commons.

Conservatives have expressed concerns about amendments proposed in the bill that alter the date of the next federal election from Oct. 20, 2025, to Oct. 27, 2025. They have raised questions about whether this modification is connected to pension eligibility for certain MPs.

The Conservatives argue that this change would secure parliamentary pensions for numerous MPs who were elected for the first time in 2019, a significant portion of whom are not projected to be re-elected. According to the Members of Parliament pension plan, MPs aged 55 and above qualify for benefits after serving six years, but the original election date would disqualify MPs elected on Oct. 21, 2019.

While section 1 of the Elections Act mandates that a general election must be held on the third Monday of October, the Liberals assert that an adjustment is necessary due to the celebration of the holiday of Diwali at that time.

Conservative MPs on the House Affairs committee have accused the Liberals and NDP of collaborating on the bill to secure pensions for their MPs, questioning why no Conservative or Bloc Québécois MPs were invited to participate.

In his opening statement before the House Affairs Committee on Nov. 7, Leblanc stated that he acknowledged his colleagues’ critiques of the bill and mentioned that the government would heed the committee’s decision if there is a desire to adjust the legislation and either move the date further ahead or revert it to Oct. 20.

Leblanc also emphasized that the bill includes provisions to safeguard Canadian elections by protecting voters’ personal data, enhancing accessibility for disabled voters, and extending current bans on foreign interference and deceptive publications to apply at all times, not just during elections.

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