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theotherpress.ca

Student federation hopes to halt Fair Elections Act

» The Canadian Federation of Students says new laws will dissuade youth voting

Alexis Stockford
The Omega

he Canadian Federation

of Students (CFS) plans to
take the federal government to
court before the next federal
election.

CFS, along with the
Council of Canadians and three
independent citizens, recently
filed a constitutional challenge
against the Fair Elections Act,
claiming new identification
requirements violate the right
to vote.

As of June 2014, voters are
no longer able to prove their
residence by having another
registered voter vouch for
them at the polls or using
their voter identification
cards. Instead, voters must
provide government-issued
identification with a local
address.

According to CFS
national chairperson Jessica
McCormick, the new measures
make voting seem unattractive
to students attending school
away from their home riding
since they often lack local
identification. She said the
new laws would only lower

: an already low youth-voter
: turnout.

“If youth vote in more

: significant numbers, we can

: have a significant impact on the
: outcome of an election for any

: of the parties, and that’s why

: it’s so important that we [make
: it] easier for people to vote, not
: more difficult,” McCormick

: said.

According to Elections

: Canada, less than 39 per cent

: of Canadians aged 18-24 voted
: in 20n1, 22 per cent lower than
: total voter turn out.

: McCormick said she herself :
: is one of the over 120,000

: Canadians to use vouching in
: the last federal election.

Over 2,000 pages of

: evidence are now before

: the Ontario Superior Court,

: including testimonies from

: voters who say they were

: turned away from polls in the
: last federal election, evidence
: from CFS on low youth voter
: turnout as well as evidence

: from the civic engagement

: group Apathy is Boring and

: former B.C. Chief Electoral

: Officer Harry Neufeld.

: Kamloops MP defends Act

: Kamloops Conservative MP

: Cathy McLeod said she cannot

: comment on CFS’ challenge

: since it is before the courts, but
: said she fully supports the Fair

: Elections Act.

“The Fair Elections Act

: will make our election laws

: tougher, clearer, and easier to
: follow. It will also ensure that
: election lawbreakers face the
: consequences for their actions,” :
: she said in an email to the
: Omega.

McLeod maintains that

: eliminating vouching and voter

ID cards decreases voter fraud.

: And while these two options

: are off the table, McLeod

: pointed out that there are 39
: other options for government
: identification, including library :
: cards, Indian status cards, and

: utility bills.

In place of vouching,

voters can now sign an oath of
: residence at the polls, provided
: that another registered voter

: living in the same polling area

: signs a similar oath to back up

: the claim of residence.

Anyone voting outside his

or her riding (such as out-of-
: town university students) can
: also apply fora special ballot

: through Elections Canada. The
: ballot will be mailed to the

: applicant and must be mailed

: back by Election Day.

: CFS says Elections Canada

: muzzled

: According to CFS, new limits
: on Elections Canada may

: further dissuade voters.

Under new legislation,
Elections Canada can no longer

: encourage people to vote,

: although later amendments
: allow it to run educational

: programs for high school

: students.

“If Elections Canada is just

limited to telling people when
: and where and how they can
: vote, that doesn't really provide

the extra motivation that’s

: required to get first-time voters
: out to the polls,” McCormick
: said.

“I think if we want to

: encourage participation in our
: democratic structures here in
: Canada, that work needs to

: come from Elections Canada

: as well as other civil society

: organizations and political

: parties.”

According to McCormick,

: Elections Canada has been

: working with CFS to develop

: educational programs as well as
: research possible locations for

: campus polling stations. Under
: new legislation, these programs
: will not be able to run.

McLeod did not address

: the limits placed on Elections
: Canada in her email.

: Running out of time

: With the possibility of an

: election being called any time

: from now to October, time is

: running out for CFS to get their
: day in court.

McCormick has said that

: if the election is called before

: their case is decided, CFS

: will be ready to apply for an

: injunction, which would “hit

: pause” on disputed measures of
: the Fair Elections Act until the

: court case could be heard.

Before getting the green

light, the injunction would

: first have to convince a judge

: that it represents a serious

: issue to society and irreparable
: harm might occur without the

: injunction. The judge must also
: weigh any inconvenience the

: injunction would put on the

: parties involved.

 

Global BC reporter fires back at body shaming

» Kristi Gordon read lines from one viewer's letter about her pregnancy

 
  

», Angela Espinoza

iT F News Editor
i is! :
a 4

Minews
@theotherpress.ca

for Global BC, Kristi
Gordon, addressed an
offensive letter one viewer had
written about her body since
announcing her pregnancy.

Gordon read some of the

comments directed at her while showing the belly that is sort

of kicking off some kind of

: response in people,” said
weather reader so gross as you,” : P Peopls

on-air. “Nowhere on North
America TV have we seen a

: Gordon read.

“Buy some decent clothes

: and have more respect for you

: unborn child,” read another

: statement.

: Gordon noted an interview :

n March 27, meteorologist with Vancity Buzz that .
: she'd also received negative

: comments about her body

: during her first pregnancy, and

: that the comments only began

: after her pregnancy was more

: visibly noticeable.

“There’s something about

: Gordon.

Gordon added that while

: her and fellow staff found
: the letter partially amusing,
: that the comments about her

appearance did eventually

: affect her over time. “It sinks

: in,” said Gordon, “and I think

: ma pretty strong person. So if
: it’s sinking in with me, imagine
: how some people feel. That

: kind of struck a chord with

: me,

”

Regardless, Gordon has

: stated that she'll be continuing
: her position as meteorologist.

   

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Image from GlobalBC

 

Basia Ruta fired as BC auditor general

» Ruta’s handling of audits resulted in review

 
  

», Angela Espinoza
iy News Editor
a q

Minews
@theotherpress.ca
C’s auditor general Basia
Ruta was fired from her
position on March 23 following
a review of her performance
that she had concerns about.

: work, Ruta’s
: lack of “leadership,” and an
: accusation of “obstruction”
: were listed in a CBC report
: about the dismissal.

: In a statement about Ruta’s :
: dismissal, Coralee Oakes,

: Minister of Community, Sport,
: and Cultural Development,

Amongst other public

: complaints made about her

r 6

”
slow pace,

: wrote that Ruta’s
: of an intended review of

: her office [had] created an
: intolerable situation.”

6

obstruction

The obstruction in

: question referred to a March 19
: statement made by Ruta that

the impending review was not

: within legal boundaries. “The
: audit council doesn’t have the
: power to appoint someone

: to doa review,’ Ruta told the
: Canadian Press.

The review was partially

: based on Ruta’s previous
: supposedly mishandling of
: audits from her office.

CBC reported that in her

: time as auditor general, Ruta

: was only able to complete two
: local government audits in her
: three-year tenure.

   

Image from news1130.com