section_path: Early political career (2004–2022)/Cabinet minister (2013–2015)/Minister of State for Democratic Reform
section_name: Minister of State for Democratic Reform
paragraph_text: Minister of State for Democratic Reform
  
  In July 2013, Harper shuffled his cabinet, adding several new members, including Poilievre to replace Tim Uppal as Minister of State (Democratic Reform). With the 2011 Canadian federal election voter suppression scandal concluding, the Canadian Senate expenses scandal unfolding, and the Senate Reform Act (to allow each province to recommend Senate candidates and impose a maximum 9-year term limit) paused at second reading to hear from the Supreme Court of Canada as to its constitutionality, this position was seen by the media as one of the most difficult and consequential in the cabinet. After the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Senate Reform Act would require substantial provincial consent, and Harper ruled out the use of a national referendum, reform efforts were abandoned. After Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, which controlled the second most Senate seats, began implementing his Senate reform plan of making senators independent with a non-partisan appointment process, Poilievre dismissed the measures, maintaining that Senators should be elected.
  
  On February 4, 2014, Poilievre introduced Bill C-23, known as the Fair Elections Act, into the House of Commons, which was eventually passed. Among other provisions, the bill expanded the types of acceptable personal identification for voting, and eliminated the vouching system, whereby a voter could vote without ID if a voter with ID vouched for their identity. The bill was opposed by former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former auditor general Sheila Fraser, and dozens of Canadian, as well as international, political experts — Poilievre stepped up his attacks on Marc Mayrand, the chief electoral officer of Elections Canada at the time, by accusing him of wanting "more power, a bigger budget and less accountability".
  
  Poilievre introduced Bill C-50, known as the Citizen Voting Act, into the House of Commons in December 2014. The bill was the government's response to an Ontario Superior Court ruling, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in Frank v Canada (AG), which had determined the disfranchisement of expatriates who have lived abroad for more than five years was unconstitutional. Bill C-50 proposed to insert additional documentation requirements for expatriates to be able to vote.
  
  In July 2013, Harper shuffled his cabinet, adding several new members, including Poilievre to replace Tim Uppal as Minister of State (Democratic Reform). With the 2011 Canadian federal election voter suppression scandal concluding, the Canadian Senate expenses scandal unfolding, and the Senate Reform Act (to allow each province to recommend Senate candidates and impose a maximum 9-year term limit) paused at second reading to hear from the Supreme Court of Canada as to its constitutionality, this position was seen by the media as one of the most difficult and consequential in the cabinet. After the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Senate Reform Act would require substantial provincial consent, and Harper ruled out the use of a national referendum, reform efforts were abandoned. After Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, which controlled the second most Senate seats, began implementing his Senate reform plan of making senators independent with a non-partisan appointment process, Poilievre dismissed the measures, maintaining that Senators should be elected.
  
  On February 4, 2014, Poilievre introduced Bill C-23, known as the Fair Elections Act, into the House of Commons, which was eventually passed. Among other provisions, the bill expanded the types of acceptable personal identification for voting, and eliminated the vouching system, whereby a voter could vote without ID if a voter with ID vouched for their identity. The bill was opposed by former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former auditor general Sheila Fraser, and dozens of Canadian, as well as international, political experts — Poilievre stepped up his attacks on Marc Mayrand, the chief electoral officer of Elections Canada at the time, by accusing him of wanting "more power, a bigger budget and less accountability".
  
  Poilievre introduced Bill C-50, known as the Citizen Voting Act, into the House of Commons in December 2014. The bill was the government's response to an Ontario Superior Court ruling, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court in Frank v Canada (AG), which had determined the disfranchisement of expatriates who have lived abroad for more than five years was unconstitutional. Bill C-50 proposed to insert additional documentation requirements for expatriates to be able to vote.