MPs scrutinized a representative from a group of long ballot protesters for his role in helping to flood some federal ridings with dozens of candidates in recent years.
Tomas Szuchewycz — an organizer with a group of electoral reform advocates known as the Longest Ballot Committee — defended the group's actions during what was an occasionally tense meeting of the House procedures committee on Tuesday.
"The Longest Ballot Committee advocates that you MPs recuse yourself from writing the rules of your own elections," Szuchewycz told the committee, arguing that an independent and non-partisan body should be established to oversee election rules.
In an effort to draw attention to their argument, the Longest Ballot Committee has organized dozens of Independent candidates to run in a number of ridings in elections dating back to 2021.
Most recently, just over 90 candidates ran in Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's Ontario riding of Carleton during the election this past spring. The group also managed to double the number of candidates in the August byelection in Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot, where Poilievre regained a seat after losing his Ottawa-area riding in April.
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