Mulcair plans to ask Tory MPs to vote against Harper govt’s Fair Elections Act

TORONTO – NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is trying to convince Conservative MPs to vote against the Harper government’s controversial proposed overhaul of elections laws.

In his latest attack on the so-called Fair Elections Act, Mulcair says the government is trying to “change the fundamental rules of our democracy without consulting anyone.”

Mulcair says the New Democrats will be publicly approaching Tory MPs over the next few days to ask them to join opponents of Bill C-23.

The Conservatives have argued the proposed law is aimed at reducing electoral fraud.

Among its proposed changes to election laws, the government plans to ban the practice of allowing registered voters to vouch for those who don’t have adequate ID.

It also plans to ban the use of voter information cards as proof of address.

Electoral experts have said the ban on vouching and voter information cards is a double whammy that could rob up to 500,000 Canadians of their fundamental right to vote.