MP mulls Reform Act changes
OTTAWA — Conservative MP Michael Chong is preparing amendments to his Reform Act, which would strip party leaders of a key power and hand clear rules to party caucuses to dump their leader, Postmedia News has learned.
In an interview Monday, Chong revealed he will amend the private member’s bill, tabled last December, before it is debated by MPs in the House of Commons in May.
The amendments are expected to “strengthen” the bill and to increase the odds of it being supported by enough MPs to be approved and become law, he said. “I don’t expect unanimity on a measure like this but I do want to see significant support from different parties,” Chong said.
Chong said some people have mistakenly concluded the bill would give 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 ouster.
“There’s a chance here to make some real changes to how our system operates,” Chong said. “I think it’s clear that there’s a problem of centralization of power in the party leaders’ offices in Ottawa.”
He said he expects the bill to receive two hours of debate in the Commons in late May on separate days. The next major step will likely be a vote by MPs on second reading of the bill in early June. Private member’s bills rarely pass this stage.
If the bill passes, it would go to a Commons committee for further study, followed by third reading and a vote. Senate ratification would be needed for it to become law.