Bill that would allow caucus MP’s to trigger leadership vote proving controversial

OTTAWA – Conservative MP Michael Chong is expected to get a rough ride from some of his own caucus colleagues as he promotes his reform act at a Senate committee today.
The act is billed as a way to rebalance power between members of Parliament and party leaders.
But Conservative Sen. David Wells, a member of the Senate rules committee, is accusing Chong of “torquing” a bill that is actually bad for democracy.
Wells’ main beef with the bill is a section that would allow MPs in a caucus to trigger a leadership vote, and then to potentially vote to eject the leader. Other Conservative and Liberal senators have also expressed concerns.
Chong watered down the bill when it was going through the Commons earlier this year, so that after an election each party could decide on the percentage of signatures needed to trigger a vote or whether to even have such rules in the first place.
But Wells says it’s inappropriate for MPs to overturn decisions made by party members and of the larger public who select leaders.

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