To the Editor:
The National General Elections of both 2006 and 2011 won by the Conservative Party Canada (CPC) were followed by investigations of wrongdoing by the Commissioner of Elections.
Arising from actions during the 2006 Election the CPC pleaded guilty to the "In and Out Scandal", exceeding evidence election spending limits and submitting fraudulent election records.
The Commissioner of Canada Elections investigation and a trial regarding the 2011 Canadian federal election voter suppression scandal (also known as the Robocall scandal, Robogate, or RoboCon) determined the most likely source of the information used to make misleading calls was the CIMS database maintained and controlled by the Conservative Party of Canada.
These findings and the current trial of Michael Sona all were limited due to inability to determine 'the list of people who had access to this database." The data base being CPC CIMS data base. "the party's investigator, lawyer Arthur Hamilton, instructed party workers not to discuss the events during the Elections Canada investigation of the Conservative Party headquarters.
Inability on the part of the of the Commissioner of Elections to compel witness testimony when investigating elections law violations a power that is exercised by the majority of provincial and territorial elections watchdogs - is unjust. It contributed directly to there being inconclusive evidence in the investigation of misdeeds during the 2011 Election.
Though the ability to seek a court order to compel testimony was among recommendations by Elections Canada and the Commissioner it has been ignored.
Indeed, rather than increasing than the capability of the Commissioner to investigate wrong doing, the Office with the passage of Bill C-23 into law would no longer be within the politically impartial domain of Elections Canada but rather within a department subject to influence by the government of the day.
This decrease rather than the necessary increase in the powers of the Office responsible for ensuring elections are fairly conducted and other matters necessitate ensuring there is a court challenge to the constitutionality of Bll C-23 should it become law.
Joe Hueglin, Niagara Falls,ON.
