 With the introduction of the "Fair Elections Act", the advisory board, its role, its budget of $439,333, and its expertise were put under scrutiny.The panel includes Sheila Fraser, Ian Binnie, John Manley, Preston Manning, Bob Rae, and Hugh Segal.On April 16, 2014, Jeffrey Simpson, in writing for the Globe and Mail, claimed the "Act" demonstrated a "them-against-us" mentality in the Conservative government fighting against Elections Canada.