Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong says it is important to get passage of the Reform Act before the next federal election.
Chong recently thanked the members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs for concluding their review of the Reform Act, 2014.
“I want to thank committee members for adopting the amendments proposed last September,” Chong stated. “I also want to thank members for concluding their review of the bill before the House adjourns for the holidays.”
Since its introduction in December 2013, the Reform Act has seen considerable debate and discussion. On Sept. 24, the Reform Act, 2014 passed its first vote in the House of Commons with the support of MPs from all parties, adopting it at second reading, 253-17.
“While the bill has come a long way since it was introduced just over a year ago, we are only part way through the legislative process,” Chong said. “We are up against the hard deadline of the 2015 federal election. It’s important that the bill be passed into law before the House rises next June.”
The Reform Act is set to return to the House of Commons in the new year for Third Reading and a final vote in the House of Commons, before going to the Senate.
The act, introduced by Chong, aims to strengthen the role of elected MPs rather than having power concentrated in offices of the prime minister and party leaders.
If enacted, it would end the party leaders’ power to veto candidates that have been nominated by local party members in their riding associations.
The proposal also recommends that MPs in the caucus, rather than the leader, would decide if any MP would be expelled or readmitted to the caucus.
It also recommends that caucus MPs elect their own caucus chair and that each party vote on these rules, following every election, in a recorded vote.
While parties would continue to choose their leaders however they wish – leaders would require the ongoing confidence of their MPs.
