Not all members of elections advisory board agree with Sheila Fraser

OTTAWA – Sheila Fraser’s damning assessment of the Harper government’s proposed overhaul of election rules is not shared by all members of the Elections Canada advisory board she co-chairs.

Conservative Sen. Hugh Segal, one of 13 members of the board, says the former auditor general was not speaking for him when she called the sweeping reforms an attack on democracy.

Segal believes opposition to Bill C-23 has been over the top.

Still, he acknowledges the bill is not perfect and says the government will have to put some water in its wine.

He says everyone needs to consider calmly how best to improve the bill so that it wins support from more than just the governing Conservative party.

Chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand created the advisory board last fall to provide non-partisan advice on matters related to the electoral system.