Procedure and House Affairs Committee on April 30th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I'm just kidding.

Monsieur Dion, go ahead, for five minutes.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Woodworth.

To make it crystal clear: can you repeat how many people would be affected by the change?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Yes, the numbers I've been able to discern would be between 2,500 and 2,800. In the case of Kitchener Centre, the variance from the provincial target, under the commission's proposal, would go from 3.56% less than the target, to 1.18% less under my proposal. For Kitchener South, the percentage variance would change from the commission's proposal of 8.04% less than the target to 10.71% less than target.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Can you also repeat that these are the only two ridings affected by your change?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Yes, the only two ridings affected are Kitchener Centre and Kitchener South. If it were a more significant change, if I were proposing to take more out of Kitchener South, one would wonder if you'd want to try to snatch some more of Cambridge on the other side. This is a sufficiently minor change that I think there ought not to be any concern about it.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Can you react to the rationale the commission gave and ensure that it will understand why you prefer your proposal to theirs? I don't know if it's exactly relevant to the change you've proposed, but the commission also learned of a community of interest between the southern portion of the City of Kitchener and the part of the City of Cambridge lying north of Highway 401, formerly the town of Hespeler.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

It isn't directly relevant to the minor shift I'm proposing. As I understand it, the difficulty the commission had is that the Cambridge riding was so large and was projected to get so much larger that it would be difficult to maintain it in a single riding. The political history of the City of Cambridge is that of a union of three previously separate cities, so the idea of taking any part of that city away and putting it in a different riding was somewhat problematic. In my opinion, the commission came up with the best solution by using Highway 401, a limited access highway, and saying that if we have to subdivide the City of Cambridge, surely that is the best demarcation.

I'm generally pleased with the commission’s approach. It's only in this one small particular where I felt community of interest and identity would be better served in the manner that I’ve proposed.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Okay, so there’s no other argument that you would like to raise at this committee in the way we report your views to the commission?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I suppose I would only say that I regret a little bit that the final hearings of the commission were given on very short notice and, quite frankly, it's my fault that perhaps I didn't spot this improvement in time to be able to appear and make that pitch to the commission directly.

I mean no disregard for the commission in that. It was my own fault that I wasn't quite quick enough—but now I am starting to argue against myself, so I'll stop there.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

No, no—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

It's never too late to work for our communities.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I think we'll stop there.

Thank you very much, Mr. Woodworth, for appearing today and giving us your views on Kitchener Centre and Kitchener South.

I would like to suspend for just a minute while we go in camera. We have a bit of committee business to do, and if the committee is willing, we'll even talk about a report or two.

[Proceedings continue in camera]