Bill C-65, currently before Parliament, would make changes to the Canada Elections Act. According to the Liberal government, it aims “to engage more people and increase the confidence” of Canadians in elections.
But by weakening the privacy laws that apply to political parties, it could undermine both engagement and confidence in elections.
Since C-65’s introduction, debate has focused on a provision that would move the fixed election date from Oct. 20 to Oct. 27, 2025. The stated purpose of this move is to avoid conflicts with other elections, and Diwali. It would also enable 80 MPs to reach the six years of service needed to qualify for House of Commons pensions, although the government has denied this is a factor in the proposed changes.
