Poilievre open to considering Senate proposals for changing election bill

OTTAWA – Pierre Poilievre says he’s open to considering nine recommendations from a Senate committee for changing his controversial overhaul of election laws.

Poilievre, the minister in charge of democratic reform, says he’ll study the recommendations carefully and with an open mind.

The Conservative-dominated Senate committee is recommending some significant changes to Poilievre’s Fair Elections Act.

In particular, senators want to drop a provision which would allow rich, established parties to spend untold millions more during election campaigns — a provision critics say would give an unfair advantage to the Conservatives.

Senators have, however, left alone two provisions — a ban on vouching and the use of voter information cards to prove residency — which experts say could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters without ID.

Instead, they suggest First Nations bands, homeless shelters and seniors’ residences be legally required to attest to residents’ names and addresses and that verified copies of electronic documents be considered acceptable forms of ID.