OTTAWA -- Backbench MP Michael Chong's bid to strengthen the power of parliamentarians over that of their party leaders is receiving cross-party support.

Democratic Reform Minister Pierre Poilievre told the Commons on Thursday that the government backs Chong's private member's bill.

He specifically highlighted the section of the so-called Reform Act that would hand party members the formal control over the approval of electoral candidates rather than the leaders.

"(Stephen Harper) becomes the first leader in a half century to declare his support for the removal of the legal veto power of party leaders over candidates," Poilievre told the Commons.

"That speaks once again to his willingness to cede power to the Canadian people and to grassroots political participants so they can exercise their own will."

Opposition MPs and some of Chong's Conservative colleagues also expressed their intention to vote in favour of the Reform Act when it comes to second reading next week.

Chong, a longtime proponent of parliamentary reform, spent the last several months talking to colleagues and members of the public about his bill. He said he sought to address an imbalance that had arisen over time between legislators and the executive -- the prime minister's office.

In an effort to see it succeed, he twice announced that he was willing to change parts of the proposed legislation to make it more flexible.

For example, Chong's bill as it stands now would hand party caucuses the power to trigger a leadership review should 20 per cent of MPs vote in favour.

Chong is now suggesting that each party caucus should vote after each general election on the particular set of rules and thresholds they think is appropriate.

Still, the Ontario MP warned that should a parliamentary committee decide to gut the bill at the next stage, he would simply pull the bill.

"Time is short. There are a mere few months before the dissolution of Parliament and the onset of a general election," Chong said. "We cannot allow this bill to die on the order paper."