Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes. I've never had a problem with the voter information cards being used to vote at the poll. I think it's partly because I don't know if there is strong evidence of its being abused. It was brought up in the Fair Elections Act debate, but I don't know if those were actually credible stories about the cards being misused.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  For students in particular, though, I've heard evidence, and I have three post-secondary institutions in my riding, and the voter information card was a huge deal for those post-secondary institutions. I'm wondering if that's your experience and if you see the importance of this as a vehicle in encouraging students to vote.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Well, if you're speaking specifically about a kid at a university who maybe hasn't changed his address, he wouldn't get the voter information card anyway. To me, the biggest barrier to someone's turning out is not the accessibility factor, but the motivation. If kids at university want to participate, they'll find a way to participate, especially with some of the recoil from the Fair Elections Act.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The information we are getting from witnesses is that there is recognition, not only among youth and students but particularly among seniors as well as indigenous people, that the voter information card has been very valuable. That's the evidence that we've heard, and that's my experience in serving as an MP. Going back now, Mr. Conacher, to this notion of money and limits, I want to get back to this premise.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You're speaking about the voter information cards?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Would you agree that Bill C-76 will result in more voter participation, that the provisions are in there to increase voter participation with things like accessibility, voter information cards, and the like? Would you agree with that?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  These include creating a financial incentive for political parties and candidates to accommodate electors with disabilities and facilitate their participation in the democratic process through reimbursement of expenses related to accommodation measures; increasing the reimbursement rate to 90% for expenses in the aforementioned categories and exempting them from campaign spending limits; allowing the Chief Electoral Officer to authorize the use of a voter information card as identification; permitting vouching as a means of identity and residence; making it easier for Canadians to apply for and obtain special ballot kits; reducing the wait times at regular and advance polls by streamlining intake procedures; and increasing the hours of advance polls to 12 hours a day.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  In those terms, we talked a bit more about how the voter information cards can increase accessibility, but I'd like to talk a little more about the education component, because I know that's one of the components that caused some concern for your organization as well.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Even with vouching, conceivably, if a poll has 250 electors, the person across the street from you, who is your neighbour and could vouch for you, truly cannot vouch for you because they're not in the same polling station. The voter information card is one piece of identification. You need two pieces, right? In some of the ways that people were looking at fraud, it was that those could be used fraudulently, but you also need another piece of ID, and that really gives Elections Canada the assurance that the person who is coming forward with that identification card is who they say they are.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Very good. With respect to the voter information cards, you've commented that, in your view, there is absolutely no issue with respect to those being used for fraudulent voting. For me, in particular, I look at seniors and students, because they are probably the two groups that use the VIC most.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You used the term “meeting the test of the charter”, and we were quite fearful at the time that, in many cases, changes being made in the Fair Elections Act would mean that a lot of people out there would be in a vulnerable state when it came to voting, with things like the voter information card and so on and so forth. What was so particularly egregious to you? What was the one part that caused you the most concern when the Fair Elections Act was put in place?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  If you feel you need to cut me off and put me back on the list again, do so. The voter information card has come up a couple of times. There are obviously some differences of opinion among the members of this committee as to whether it's being used as a form of identification. Is it a wise move or not?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You said that 172,000 people couldn't vote because they didn't have identification for whatever reason. Can you tell me how many addresses change on that voter information card from the time it goes out until the day advance polls and voting days start?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Maybe it's similar to the Leduc situation, but a suburb is different in many senses. If we're going to start talking about the rural impact of voter information cards, in my riding there are 130 or something towns, and the largest town is only 1,300 people. I'm not saying all my riding, don't get me wrong. I'm sure the Knights of Columbus is free, but nevertheless, I think maybe we should, if we're going somewhere like Regina or just outside of Regina, look to bring someone in from further away to get that rural part of it.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think so. I think the reason I and the government feel so strongly about the voter information card and vouching is precisely to enable Canadians to have access to the right to vote. The right to vote is in section 3 of the charter, ensuring that people who have that right are able to cast a ballot.