Minority government must stop the Bill C-15 power grab
March 10, 2026
Fair Vote Canada applauds the efforts of the Conservative Party to amend Bill C-15, the Budget Implementation Act, to remove the clauses giving Ministers the power to exempt any individual or company from almost any Canadian law.
Under Bill C-15, a Minister’s opinion of what is in “the public interest” will become a higher authority than almost any piece of legislation.
The danger to democracy posed by Bill C-15 is not a partisan issue. Recently, 40 groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Council of Canadians, and Nature Canada signed a letter echoing the same concerns.
The composition of a Parliament elected by first-past-the-post is already often wildly unrepresentative of how Canadians voted, silencing the voices of almost half of Canadians who cast a ballot.
At a bare minimum, however, our elected MPs still create laws that apply to everyone. The MPs we elect have power and responsibility, which Bill C-15 seeks to take away.
Ironically, the Liberal government has produced a new form letter to send to those who write to Liberal MPs calling for proportional representation. In extolling the merits first-past-the-post, the letter explains to Canadians:
“As you know, our electoral system (i.e., the basic rules that determine how votes translate into seats in the House of Commons) is one of the most fundamental elements of our democracy.
In particular, it provides Canadians with a direct link to their Members of Parliament, who must work together to develop national policy and make political decisions, while engaging with and being accountable to their constituents.”
On February 9, Conservative MP Sandra Cobena asked Minister Marc Miller:
“Why do you need the power to exempt any person or corporation from almost any federal law except the Criminal Code to do your job?”
“Why should one individual Minister be allowed to bypass 150 years of Canadian law and exempt a person or a company of their choosing?”
These are questions all Canadians who care about democracy should be asking their MPs, and the federal government.
Fair Vote Canada is a national citizens’ campaign for proportional representation.
Media contact: Ryan Campbell, Fair Vote Canada board member, ryanmatthewcampbell@gmail.com, 778-986-9174