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Mayrand’s agency has hinted in the past that comparatively weak penalties and limits on investigative powers in the current elections law have made it harder to track down who was responsible for the “Pierre Poutine” robocalls in Guelph, Ont., and misleading calls in other ridings.

“While political parties and candidates must continue to be able to communicate with electors effectively, measures are required to provide basic privacy protections and help prevent deceptive communications,” Mayrand writes.

Mayrand wants a new law, based on a provincial law in Ontario, which would make it an offence of anyone to falsely present themselves as an employee of Elections Canada or as a representative of a candidate or political party.

The government said Wednesday that it will have a look at Mayrand’s report.

“As previously indicated, we are looking at reforms to Canada’s election laws,” said an emailed statement from Tim Uppal, the minister of state for democratic reform. “We will consider these suggestions as we prepare to put forward a comprehensive elections reform proposal.”

Investigators have previously struggled to apply the Elections Act to calls that appear to be designed to mislead voters.

In the Guelph case, the “Pierre Poutine” suspect sent out 7,676 voters pre-recorded calls that falsely claimed to be from Elections Canada, telling them their polling locations had been changed.

“The inability to compel testimony has been one of the most significant obstacles to effective enforcement of the act.”

While personation is already an offence under the Criminal Code, Mayrand’s report says the provision would not apply to “a call or caller represented as ‘Elections Canada,’ nor to a fictitious character such as Pierre Poutine.”