Liberal MP Suggests Party Will Drop Elections Canada Act Amendment Changing Election Date

A Liberal MP has indicated that the party is considering removing an amendment to the Elections Canada Act that would delay the next election date by a week. Conservatives have raised concerns that this change was proposed to secure pensions for certain MPs.

“There are over 40 amendments in our package that specifically address the election date,” said Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull during a House affairs committee meeting on Dec. 3. He stated that the Liberals will support the change to the election date.

NDP MPs have also expressed their support for eliminating this clause.

The Members of Parliament Pension Plan stipulates that MPs aged 55 and above qualify for pensions after six years of service. MPs elected on Oct. 21, 2019, would not qualify under the original election date.

While the Elections Act mandates a general election on the third Monday of October, the Liberals argue that adjusting the date is necessary due to the celebration of Diwali in many communities at that time.

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During the committee meeting on Dec. 3, Conservative MP Michael Cooper criticized the bill as a “cynical attempt” to secure pensions for Liberal and NDP MPs who may not get re-elected.

He questioned the credibility of the explanations provided for the date change, stating that it was not believable that the change had nothing to do with pensions.

Dominic LeBlanc, minister of public safety, democratic institutions, and intergovernmental affairs, has stated that the government is willing to consider removing the election date provision from the bill.

During the same meeting, NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron mentioned that a colleague had proposed removing the clause that delays the election date, but the Conservatives attempted to delay the entire bill.

Bill C-65 includes several changes to the Elections Canada Act, such as restrictions on foreign funding for third parties, measures to remove barriers for certain groups of electors, codifying Elections Canada’s “vote on campus” service, and reducing the number of signatures required for nominations.