marc mayrand

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New proposals from the chief electoral officer and the minister

The anecdotal, philosophical matter of the Fair Elections Act

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‘Mr. Speaker, we have only begun debate’

The Fair Elections Act is defended

The Democratic Reform Minister shows off his government’s newest bill

In this week’s Maclean’s I write about Marc Mayrand, Canada’s chief electoral officer. Mayrand is often called a “watchdog,” the informal category that also includes federal officials like the auditor general and the privacy commissioner. But doesn’t just enforce the rules for voting and political finance to make sure nobody’s gaming the system, he also runs federal elections. It’s that hands-on, operational role that sets him apart; he must actually keep the election machine in order, and knows better than anyone where it’s in need of repair. Here is an edited transcript of my recent interview with him, the basis of this week’s story:

Van Loan’s update on a long-standing promise to modernize elections

The Speaker’s decision is questioned