Evidence of meeting #3 for Bill C-20 (39th Parliament, 2nd Session) in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was votes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
First of all, restrictions apply to the parties only with respect to Senate nominees. The party must be registered in the House of Commons in accordance with the Canada Elections Act.
Also, there are restrictions of a financial nature. For example, it would be illegal for parties to transfer funds to a given candidate. In order to engage in advertising, the party must be registered as a third party.
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
Yes, exactly.
The idea is to reduce the power of the political parties because in the Senate, the focus is more on individuals than on political parties. The parties are subject to a number of restrictions with respect to Senate nominees.
Another reason is that the intention is to ensure an ongoing balance in terms of the process for electing members to the House of Commons. It is important to consider the repercussions of one process on the other.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
That being the case, spending limits will have to apply to all the candidates.
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
To candidates running for the House of Commons, yes, but not those running for a Senate position.
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
There are several reasons for that. First of all, there is no limit for the Senate because the process applies to all the provinces; it is much more extensive than the one that applies to the House of Commons. Also, a number of other restrictions apply to contributions, the same restrictions that are laid out in the Elections Act.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Because contributions to candidates are limited, they will be unable to spend amounts of money that could, in some cases, hinder the democratic process.
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
Yes. Contributions are subject to restrictions, given that the selection process extends to all the provinces, and to both at the same time, and that there is no contribution limit.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
I want to come back to my example. Supposing there are five seats to be filled in Quebec, which is entitled to 22 senators, as I recall. The day after the election, one decides to retire and a second one resigns.
Will those seats remain vacant for four years, until the next election?
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
It would depend on the circumstances surrounding the selection and the consultation order made by the Prime Minister. As I said at the outset, it is the Prime Minister who determines in advance the number of seats to which the process will apply.
Bloc
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
It would be possible to establish a bank of potential senators who could be appointed if… Even if there are five seats to be filled, the Prime Minister could decide to have an election for eight or nine candidates, for example.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you very much.
I must admit that I'm really trying to picture the animal we're creating here, with the chihuahua's legs, the cat's tail, and the donkey's head. I'm just not quite sure where we're going to put the budgie's beak, so I'll have to ask a few questions to see if this actually looks as ugly as I see it.
Do these elections happen when the Prime Minister calls them? At what point do we decide that there's an opening and we need an election?
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
The general process articulated in the bill is that the process would normally be held in conjunction with a federal general election. The bill also provides that the process could be run in conjunction with a provincial general election, but in those circumstances it would have to be published in the Canada Gazette at a minimum of six months in advance. But normally it would be with a federal general election.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
We're talking about places being open. Is that because we know four senators in Saskatchewan are going to retire, that they've left, and then we're going to get their names. What if some of them, who have said they're going to leave, decide they like taking a pay cheque and having a 40% absentee rate? They might just continue with that process. At what point do these officially become places that are now open?
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
Officially, they become places that are open when senators resign, for example, or when they attain the age of 75, or when they leave for the other reason: some people die before the age of 75. What's provided for in the bill is that the Prime Minister...obviously for the ones that are attaining the age of 75, it's possible to look forward and anticipate what would happen there.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
So Senator Joe Blow retires in Ontario. Is that an Ontario-wide selection?
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
The selection process for any of the provinces is province wide.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Province wide, okay.
I represent a riding the size of Great Britain, and there are very clear restrictions on how much money I can spend to get into various parts of my communities, many of which I need special flights to get into. So we have one election for a spot in Ontario. Did you say there is no limit on how much someone can spend to get their name known in every town in Ontario, and on radio, and in newspapers, to get ahead of anybody else who's on a very limited budget?
Director of Operations, Democratic Reform, Privy Council Office
There are no limits in terms of the expenditures, but there are limits in terms of the contributions.
So, for example, if you are a candidate you cannot spend more than $1,000, the normal contribution limit, plus, as is the case for members of Parliament, there's a doubling-up provision, so that as a candidate you can spend an extra $1,000 out of your own—
NDP
