As Canada Day approaches, we ask Canadians to reflect on the state of our democracy.

Canadians have experienced our democratic processes going awry - from the 2011 robocall
scandal to the increasing intrusion on our privacy through warrantless data collection, to the
actions of the PMO in the Senate expenses scandal. Perhaps the most illustrative, however, is
the process we recently went through with the Fair Elections Act (FEA).

The current government ignored legitimate and widespread criticism of the FEA until the final
days before the bill was voted on in Parliament. It attacked such critics of the bill as the
widely respected Sheila Fraser, Canadas former Auditor General, and Marc Mayrand,
Canadas Chief Electoral Officer.
1
And while significant amendments were made, Elections
Canada was not granted the power to compel testimony, although this was one of the key
reasons why the bill was called for in the first place.
2
In fact, we have recently learned that the
inability to compel testimony during investigations for the robocall scandal may have
prevented Elections Canada from determining all the facts of the case. The current bill does
not provide an adequate solution to this problem.
3
Instead, it creates a loophole for similar
irregularities in the future.
4


So, after all of the sound and fury, what do we have now? Have our democratic institutions
actually been strengthened? Can we say with certainty that the fraud that occurred during the
2011 election campaign
5
will not be repeated in 2015? We cannot.

As we celebrate our countrys 147th year, we encourage you to join with us to strengthen our
democracy by doing the following:

1. When the next election is called, please contact your federal candidates to ask them to
pledge to repeal the Fair Elections Act. Ask them to bring in election legislation that
truly does address the many concerns raised by elections experts, ordinary citizens
and the three federal opposition parties.

2. Vote. And when you do, choose a candidate/party that will stand up for your
democratic rights, not quietly take them away.


We write to you as Canadians who deeply believe in an Elections Act that safeguards our
democracy. Together, all of us can leave a stronger democratic legacy for our children and
give Canada a memorable 150th birthday present.

Signed,

By ordinary Canadians:

Julie Cook Ottawa, ON
Ryan Thompson Newmarket, ON
Christopher Lewis Newmarket, ON

1
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/04/09/fair-elections-act/
2
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sean-casey/fair-elections-act_b_4817909.html
3
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jean-pierre-kingsley-still-has-concerns-over-electoral-changes-1630568
4
http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2014/05/13/elections-overhaul-bill-includes-loophole-that-could-
hinder-investigations/38484
5
Federal Court Ruling on 2011 Election Fraud Legal Case: http://canadians.org/election/documents/T-619-
12-EN.pdf
Katherine Kimbell Ottawa, ON
Colin Smith
Gatineau, QC

John MacDonald Ottawa, ON
Ute Thomas Ottawa, ON
Clarke Topp Ottawa, ON
Steve Henry London, ON
John Koch Ottawa, ON
Claire Richard Orlans, ON
L McDonald Ottawa, ON
Michael Courdin Ottawa, ON
Ruth Edwards Ottawa, ON
Louise Lefebvre Ottawa, ON
Wendy Miller Ottawa, ON
Edward Napke Ottawa, ON
Frank Farrell Ottawa, ON
Anne Thompson Kingston, ON
Heather Baser Ottawa, ON
Rev. Frances Deverell Ottawa, ON
Christine Johnston Victoria, BC
Liz McAllister Ottawa, ON
Wilkinson Calgary, AB
Ria Heynen Ottawa, ON
Qais Ghanem Ottawa, ON
Terrie Meehan Ottawa, ON
Jan Heynen Ottawa, ON
Rosalie Reynolds Ottawa, ON
Ida C Henderson Ottawa, ON
Alma Norman Ottawa, ON
Scott Robertson Ottawa, ON
Linda Green Ottawa, ON
Bernard Walke Ottawa, ON
Mary-Louise Blair Ottawa, ON
Elizabeth Whitmore Ottawa, ON
Diana Ralph Ottawa, ON
Bob Nye Ottawa, ON
Ahmed Ahmed Ottawa, ON
Pam FitzGerald Ottawa, ON
Tamara Oomen Aurora, ON
Joy Johnston Comox, BC
Liam Walke Ottawa, ON
Judy Farrell Ottawa, ON
Gail McCabe Hamilton, ON
Sylvia Krogh Edmonton, AB
Brad Gomes Aurora, ON
Calvin Climie Ottawa, ON
Louise Gigure Gatineau, QC
Eleanor Lorenzi Ottawa, ON
Sylvia Halifax, NS
Gale O'Brien Ottawa, ON
Eileen Reardon Ottawa, ON
Ral Lavergne Ottawa, ON
Sharon Reeves Ottawa, ON
Majda Skerl Ottawa, ON
Jacqueline Wood Ottawa, ON
Ani Eby Owen Sound, ON
Michelle Landry Kanata, ON
Ian Crain Ottawa, ON
Gwynneth Martin Ottawa, ON
Pierre Racicot Magog, QC
Leilani Schaefer-Loo Ottawa, ON
Vivien Ratcliffe Ottawa, ON
Ellen Kammermayer Ottawa, ON
Joel Westheimer Ottawa, ON
Mark Soiseth Ottawa, ON
Liane Tanguay Ottawa, ON
Warren McBride Ottawa, ON
Evelyn Voigt Ottawa, ON
Andrew Hodgson Ottawa, ON
Brenda Vroom Ottawa, ON
Feliks Welfeld Ottawa, ON
Andy Rybak Kanata, ON
Wendy McPeake Ottawa, ON
Sylvia Smith Ottawa, ON
Alice Doell Ottawa, ON
Susan Smee Ottawa, ON
Jake Javanshir Toronto, ON
Douglas Oak Coquitlam, BC
Jeremy Brubacher Kitchener, ON
Hetty Diepenbrock-Woldringh Ottawa, ON
Amy Anne Lubik Port Coquitlam, BC
Rhal Delaquis Ottawa, ON
Tim Lash Ottawa, ON
Laura Dupont Port Coquitlam, BC
Lucille Turpin Ottawa, ON
William Willson Coquitlam, BC
Adam Ballah Barrie, ON
Donna Halliday Barrie, ON
Omar Chu Coquitlam, BC
Marion Gorman Ottawa, ON
Justin Rancourt Barrie, ON
Parween Irani Chilliwack, BC
Erik Koopman Barrie, ON
Dr Nancy H. Furness Port Coquitlam, BC
Winfield Chee Ottawa, ON
Patricia Woods Nepean, ON
Philip Brown Nepean, ON
Betty Rogers Ottawa, ON
Jennifer Waterman Ottawa, ON
Martin Islam Ottawa, ON
Erwin Dreessen Ottawa, ON
Julien Lamarche Ottawa, ON
Joe Michel Gatineau, QC
Sam Hersh Montreal, QC
Jane Gardner Luskville, QC
Clarke Topp Ottawa, ON
Geraldine MacWilliams Ottawa, ON
Kitty Kawerks St.John's, NL
Ken Graham Moncton, NB
Gerry Greenberg Camrose, AB
Pascale Prvost Saint-Albert, AB
John Turnbull Carleton Place, ON
Katie Lunn Ottawa, ON
Denis De Pape Winnipeg, MB
Ginette Paill Winnipeg, MB
Douglas King Kaleden, BC
David Huntley Burnaby, BC
Joanne Olafson Edmonton, AB
Frank Stoyles Nepean, ON
Shoni Field Vancouver, BC
Chantale Sauv Ottawa, ON
Francis J. Smith Ottawa, ON
Mary Sarumi Ottawa, ON
Brent Lawrason Vancouver, BC
Lawrence MacWilliams Belfast, PEI
Greg Taylor Barrie, ON
Phil Soubliere Ottawa, ON
Elizabeth Wallace Sherbrooke, QC
Jean Robillard Ottawa, ON
Christine Condy Sharon, ON
John Mynott Chelsea, QC
Francis Bayerl Ottawa, ON
Shahla Khan Salter Ottawa, ON
Mike Fletcher Smiths Falls, ON
Ric Dagenais Manotick, ON
Mike Cassidy Ottawa, ON
Jonathan Rausseo Ottawa, ON
Fran Slingerlnd Ottawa, ON
Bob Nye Ottawa, ON
Ellie Topp Nepean, ON
Robert McBryde Montreal, QC
Anne Schlenker Montreal, QC
Denise Doherty Nepean, ON
Mel & Pat Webber Burlington, ON
Anne Prowse Ottawa, ON
Frank Pope Ottawa, ON
Sheila Gervais Ottawa, ON
David Lundy Merrickville, ON
Espoir Manirambona Ottawa, ON
Anna Luczak-Romaszewska Ottawa, ON
Gerry Rakobowchuk Ottawa, ON
Mary Jane Clements London, ON
Patricia Marsden-Dole Ottawa, ON
MC Glass Ottawa, ON
Sandra Copeland Ottawa, ON
Shawn Smith Ottawa, ON
Jacqui Gingras Falkland, BC
Melissa White Gatineau, QC
Eliyahu Pivnick Kamloops BC
Martine Campeau Chelsea, QC
Susan Young Vernon, BC
Anna Maranta Ottawa, ON
Peter Black Ottawa, ON
Dorothy A. Knight Stratford, ON
Erika Fyfe Kitchener, ON
Blair Trelinski Montreal, QC
David Collacutt Innisfil, ON
Joey Gunn Ottawa, ON
Dave Macki Ottawa, ON
Stephanie Wolfe Alliston, ON
Douglas Boker Ottawa, ON
Anna Schaefer Winnipeg, MB
Donna Gish Lacombe, AB
Priscilla Judd Lumby, BC
Gordon Judd Lumby, BC
Joy Parks Greely, ON