Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, Mr. Gibbins.
There are several elements of Bill C-20 that not only bother me, but that for which I do not have an answer. There are also elements that do not seem to be dealt with in the Bill.
First of all, I have realized that in the Bill as tabled there does not seem to be a clause or a provision protecting minority groups, for example, francophones in Canada or anglophones in Quebec or other minority groups such as aboriginal peoples. There is nothing that applies to them. It seems to me that in this day and age, here in Canada in the 21st century, constitutional protection — although this is not tied to the Constitution —, legislative protection, in the structure of these groups, should be taken into account in a major, if not fundamental, manner. I would therefore like to hear your views on this with regard to voter consultation.
Secondly, I have a question that I have already asked, but to which I have yet to receive an answer. I imagine myself in the shoes of a candidate in an election — I will not use Quebec as an example, because the situation there is somewhat different — in Ontario, for example, where there is an important urban base, but also a broad rural base. It seems to me that if I were a candidate in a rural area, my chances of being elected would be rather slim because I would have to cover a very large territory in order to garner the same number of votes I might be able to attract in an urban area of just a few kilometres in length. It therefore seems to me that this voting structure for senators, as proposed in Bill C-20, would give a very distinct advantage to persons from urban communities and, therefore, persons from rural communities would be somewhat like the minorities I have just mentioned.
Would you have an answer to these questions? It is not exactly the same question, but nearly.