Federal NDP were the only smart ones on this one
More than 1 million unable to vote: Elections Canada
Updated Tue. Oct. 23 2007 8:34 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
New Democrat MP Charlie Angus and another one million Canadians could find themselves unable to vote if the minority government falls, according to Elections Canada.
Voters now need a residential address with a street name and number before casting a ballot, because of an amendment to the Canada Elections Act that Parliament enacted four months ago.
But more than one million rural Canadians have no proper residential or civic address. Many of them use post office boxes, and on some native reserves residents only use the name of their community.
"Parliament blew it in a big way," Angus told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
He said only the NDP opposed the amendment last spring, while the other parties ignored his concerns.
"The government blew it and the Liberals and the Bloc (Quebecois) blew it because they sided with every change the Conservatives brought up."
Elections Canada released a report on the issue to Parliament, saying 4.4 per cent of eligible voters do not have the proper address now required by law.
In Nunavut, 80.75 per cent of voters can't offer a street name and number, while 27.33 per cent of Saskatchewan voters are in the same situation. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it's 23.21 per cent.
Angus's driver's licence has his address as Mileage 104, meaning 104 miles from Timmins, Ont. It refers to the original distance markers on the railway line through northern Ontario, according to CP.
Conservative MP Peter Van Loan told the House of Commons that the government is trying to resolve the problem.
"We want to ensure everybody's right to vote is protected," said Van Loan, the government house leader.
He added that all parties should "enthusiastically support efforts to correct this deficiency."
Flaherty also said that if the minority government falls before any such correction can be passed, the chief electoral officer is prepared to use "his adaptation power to ensure that no Canadian loses their right to vote."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Liberals and Conservatives should have addressed the problem months ago.
"Now we see this law was a bad law and other parties that supported these changes are now trying to scramble to fix the problems that we flagged at the outset," he said.
Ummm. . . WTF?! Now I can't legally vote until this is freaking resolved. Wait, no, I can vote, I just need someone that can to vouch for me, then I have to take an oath, sign some papers. . . . umm, it should not be this hard! Someone(read Conservatives, Liberals, Bloc) was asleep at the wheel when this legislation came by.
This is soooooo fucking infuriating. I have not been this mad in so long. I know it'll be fixed, but it shouldn't have gone this far to begin with! None of my family can vote because of this. I just hope that it doesn't affect provincial elections.
Makes you wonder how many other bills were passed without being properly scrutinized.
Updated Tue. Oct. 23 2007 8:34 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
New Democrat MP Charlie Angus and another one million Canadians could find themselves unable to vote if the minority government falls, according to Elections Canada.
Voters now need a residential address with a street name and number before casting a ballot, because of an amendment to the Canada Elections Act that Parliament enacted four months ago.
But more than one million rural Canadians have no proper residential or civic address. Many of them use post office boxes, and on some native reserves residents only use the name of their community.
"Parliament blew it in a big way," Angus told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
He said only the NDP opposed the amendment last spring, while the other parties ignored his concerns.
"The government blew it and the Liberals and the Bloc (Quebecois) blew it because they sided with every change the Conservatives brought up."
Elections Canada released a report on the issue to Parliament, saying 4.4 per cent of eligible voters do not have the proper address now required by law.
In Nunavut, 80.75 per cent of voters can't offer a street name and number, while 27.33 per cent of Saskatchewan voters are in the same situation. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it's 23.21 per cent.
Angus's driver's licence has his address as Mileage 104, meaning 104 miles from Timmins, Ont. It refers to the original distance markers on the railway line through northern Ontario, according to CP.
Conservative MP Peter Van Loan told the House of Commons that the government is trying to resolve the problem.
"We want to ensure everybody's right to vote is protected," said Van Loan, the government house leader.
He added that all parties should "enthusiastically support efforts to correct this deficiency."
Flaherty also said that if the minority government falls before any such correction can be passed, the chief electoral officer is prepared to use "his adaptation power to ensure that no Canadian loses their right to vote."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said the Liberals and Conservatives should have addressed the problem months ago.
"Now we see this law was a bad law and other parties that supported these changes are now trying to scramble to fix the problems that we flagged at the outset," he said.
Ummm. . . WTF?! Now I can't legally vote until this is freaking resolved. Wait, no, I can vote, I just need someone that can to vouch for me, then I have to take an oath, sign some papers. . . . umm, it should not be this hard! Someone(read Conservatives, Liberals, Bloc) was asleep at the wheel when this legislation came by.
This is soooooo fucking infuriating. I have not been this mad in so long. I know it'll be fixed, but it shouldn't have gone this far to begin with! None of my family can vote because of this. I just hope that it doesn't affect provincial elections.
Makes you wonder how many other bills were passed without being properly scrutinized.