Kingsley qualifies initial positive assessment of elections law overhaul

OTTAWA – The former national elections watchdog says two key provisions of thegovernment’s proposed overhaul of elections law must be dropped to preserve the integrity and fairness of the electoral system.

Jean-Pierre Kingsley says eliminating the practice of allowing people to vouch for voters who don’t have proper identification would disenfranchise a significant number of electors.

And he says muzzling the chief electoral officer — allowing him to communicate with people only about the mechanics of voting — would undermine confidence in the electoral process.

When Bill C-23 was first introduced, Kingsley initially gave it a grade of A minus.

But while he continues to say there are some good elements in the bill, Kingsley now says he agrees with the assessment of chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand, who has been highly critical.

Kingsley says a provision that would indirectly allow political parties to spend untold millions more during campaigns should also be dropped.