Evidence of meeting #60 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was map.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
What is the new riding? Can you show that up there?
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
The new riding would be this one. It goes from the middle of Alberta right up to the territories.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
In making the changes that you're suggesting, what effect does it have on the new riding that the boundaries commission suggested?
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
I believe it would be much easier to represent that area because of a common interest. Its population would be about 11% lower than the 107,000 that they're representing.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
It would be 8,000 or something like that.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
It's a growing population.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
All right.
We've gone over our time by almost half an hour, but Mr. Cullen, by all means.
11:45 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
My only concern—and I don't know if you share this, Rob—is that we don't really have anyone to speak for this new riding, because there isn't anybody. We've talked about the logistics of moving around this place. Do you share some of the concerns that I'm starting to feel? I don't know that territory, but it looks like a heck of a riding to try to serve.
11:45 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I don't mean just in size, though. Some big ridings are not that tough. This one looks both big and very logistically hard.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Just to give you an idea, on the other side, you have a very large population in the Fort McMurray area. That's Brian Jean's. You can service the bulk of the population there much easier. Over here, you have small communities all the way through.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Is there any chance of putting what is currently in northern Alberta on this side, so we can see the difference, as we've added this riding in the middle?
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Would it be a difficult riding? Yes, but it could be much more functional on this map than on the commission's.
11:45 a.m.
NDP
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Yes, it's going to be a tough riding either way, because of the geographic size of it.
11:45 a.m.
Liberal
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Merrifield Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Yes, much better, because they're smaller numbers, but they're all northern-focused. The MP would likely come from the central part of it rather than the southern part.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Armstrong Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
The population base in the riding changes more to the centre, so that the people living there go north more, whereas if the big population base is in the south, it's going to be difficult for them.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
