OTTAWA — Conservative MP Michael Chong’s Reform Act will be debated by MPs in the Commons in late May — possibly providing the first clues of whether it will have enough support to eventually become law.
The private member’s bill strips party leaders of a key power to veto election candidates and hands clear rules to party caucuses on dumping their leader.
In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Chong said he believes there is wide public support for his legislative initiative and that more MPs are coming onside.
“The response has been overwhelming,” said Chong, who has travelled throughout the country to explain the bill’s contents since he introduced it last December.
“Public support has been broad. There has been a great deal of interest from different quarters. Civil society groups, the universities, law schools, ordinary citizens. It has been a tremendous response.”
But what matters most is whether Chong can convince enough MPs to support the bill so it can be sent to a committee for further study, and ultimately passed into law.
In April, Chong amended his own bill to address some concerns that had been raised by fellow MPs. On May 27, the House of Commons will set aside one hour of debate to the bill. A second hour of debate will occur in mid-September, to be followed by a crucial second-reading vote by MPs by the end of the month.
Without a majority of MPs onside, the bill will die. But if it passes it will continue on for more detailed committee study and could potentially receive final approval and come into force before the 2015 election.
Chong has been working assiduously to get parliamentary support and has the backing of some Conservative MPs. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair has said that he supports it in principle and it’s believed some NDP MPs, though not all, will feel likewise.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has not indicated how he and his caucus will vote.
Perhaps most importantly, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not publicly said whether his cabinet will rally around Chong’s reforms.
Chong said he has not been told if cabinet will back his bill, and that while the government might tip its hand on the day of the bill’s first debate, it might also wait until the fall.
“I think they have to take their time to review the bill. I’m hopeful they will review the substance of the bill and come to understand that it’s a worthwhile endeavour and worthy of their support.”
Chong said that since he introduced his bill, some people have mistakenly concluded it gives MPs the power to work internally to dump their leader. In fact, he said MPs can already try to do that and there have been federal and provincial examples of internal caucus revolts leading to a leader’s demise.
“The problem is it’s now based on unwritten rules. How that happens in a democracy needs to be written down on paper. It needs to be a lot clearer and transparent.”
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