This is a re-posting of a letter to Lawrence Rochette posted on Facebook.
Dear Lawrence A. Rochette,
Mark your calendar!
After five months and numerous attempts by Conservative Party lawyers to derail it all – evidence of widespread, targeted and effective voter suppression during the 2011 federal election is now scheduled for hearing by the Federal Court of Canada.
The hearings get underway December 10th, 2012. While we all hoped they would commence sooner, there's more time to gather further evidence – including information from Elections Canada, which the Court has been asked to decide on shortly.
So today, I hope you join with me in celebrating this tremendous news! These are landmark legal cases that strike at the very foundation of our democracy. While organized efforts to discourage voters from casting a ballot have been a feature of the U.S. political landscape for some time, they have not, until now, widely contaminated Canadian elections.
The Council of Canadians established the Democracy 24-7 Legal Fund for just this purpose: to help restore voters’ rights and the integrity of our democracy. And the support from concerned citizens everywhere has been incredible!
To you personally, I once again offer my heartfelt thanks. Your generous contribution has been vital in helping the applicants gather the evidence needed to win these cases.
Shamefully, Conservative Party lawyers continue to drive up legal costs with baseless motions (the first of which has already been soundly rejected by the Court). This includes their latest motion, which would require the applicants to file a security deposit of $250,000 to cover the Conservative Party MPs’ legal costs – above and beyond their own costs – in full and upfront before the hearings get underway.
That motion will be heard on September 18th. In the meantime, we’re only $40,000 away from our goal of raising $240,000 for the applicants’ legal costs. With your generosity I know we’ll get there.
As the legal proceedings unfold, we’ll continue to keep you informed every step of the way.
With sincere thanks,
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Maude Barlow
National Chairperson, The Council of Canadians
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