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Her remarks were largely congruent with criticism from Mayrand and dozens of other prominent elections experts and academics who have called for major changes to the bill.

But Fraser’s remarks were seen as particularly cutting, given the reputation for independence and thoroughness she earned as federal auditor general.

Contract details suggest that Fraser’s relationship with Elections Canada is a potentially lucrative one. A report posted by Elections Canada shows that her contract, running from Dec. 31 to March 31, was to pay her to a maximum $65,534. Any money she earned on the panel would come on top of a government pension based on her best earning years.

Her co-chair on the panel, former Supreme Court justice Ian Binnie, could earn even more, up to the $68,914.

Elections Canada said those figures were the total amounts that could be paid under the contract and that the panelists may not have received that much.

Spokesperson Diane Benson said Friday that terms of the contract and the total amounts paid out were not immediately available. The contract amounts could include travel costs as well.

Democratic Reform Minister Pierre Poilievre has responded to questions in the House of Commons about Fraser’s comments as if she was speaking on behalf of Elections Canada, and certainly her potentially lucrative contract with the agency will bolster that view.

But NDP MP Craig Scott said Friday that Poilievre was misrepresenting her relationship to Elections Canada.