The CPC's push for its absurdly named Fair Elections Act would make infamous Republican strategist Karl Rove proud. At best, it has been a campaign to mislead the public, at worst, an attempt to rig the electoral system to favour the Tories in 2015. Last week, Conservative Senator Linda Frum, sister of former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum, launched an attack against Elections Canada on the grounds that its efforts to promote voter turnout constitute a "conflict of interest." On Monday, she doubled down on her position with a positively Orwellian op-ed in The Globe and Mail. Here's the gist of her widely-mocked argument: - Elections Canada is tasked both with ensuring fair elections and promoting voting. - This is a conflict of interest because disqualifying fraudulent votes would lower voter turnout. - Therefore, the Fair Elections Act rightly bars Elections Canada from promoting turnout and leaves the responsibility to Canada's political parties. The failures of logic are obvious. It's difficult to imagine a group with a greater conflict of interest when it comes to turnout than a political party. There are also many public agencies that both promote good behaviour and stop bad behaviour. Like, you know, the police.

Another obvious CONFLICT @BoydErman: @RobSilver Er, don't police promote compliance with laws and enforce? — Rob Silver (@RobSilver) April 14, 2014

The real conflict of interest lies with the Conservatives, who are pushing through a bill that radically reshapes our electoral process just one year before they'll seek to win a second majority government. The Fair Unfair Elections Act is packed with potential conflicts. Elections Canada has worked in recent years to slow the precipitous decline in youth voting. The trouble, for the Tories at least, is that young people are far more likely to vote for the NDP or Liberals. Putting a stop to Elections Canada's youth initiatives stands to benefit the Tories. Can you say conflict? The legislation will increase donation limits. The Tories raise more money than the other parties and they do so by getting larger donations. The Conservatives raised more money than the Liberals in the last quarter of 2013 even though the Grits had more donors. Higher limits favour the Conservatives. That's a C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T. The bill gives the party that received the most votes in a riding in the last election the power to recommend polling station supervisors. The Conservatives won the most ridings in 2011. Therefore the Tories will handpick the most referees for 2015. I smell a conflict. Blog post continues below video

