Electoral Reform Committee on July 27th, 2016

[Alex Himelfarb]

I think it's a fair question.

I must confess that I'm with Henry on this. I think greater proportionality is so much better that it would be more than sad if we didn't move in that direction.

That's not to say that you're incorrect that any choice involves trade-offs. It depends a bit on how you design the system. One of the challenges that we will have to deal with is the size of ridings, for example, or the size of districts, especially with respect to dispersed population areas. I think we're going to have to be creative in the design of this to accommodate the diversity of the country, including urban and rural differences.

For what it's worth, I know that Jean-Pierre Kingsley has speculated about some possibilities. I also know that Fair Vote Canada is working on models that ensure greater proportionality but respect the differences between urban and rural areas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you very much.

We ended at noon, right on the dot, so thank you, colleagues and witnesses, for your co-operation.

We haven't finished the meeting. You're rock stars, obviously.

Before we close the meeting and the gavel comes down to permit photos, I would just remind members, those who are interested and who will be here—and I assume that's pretty much everyone—that at 1 o'clock we'll be here to—

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Christine Lafrance]

Bring your iPads.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Bring your iPads if you can. We're going to go through a trial run of the electronic questionnaire.

Yes, Mr. Reid.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Chair, this is kind of a point of order.

I just want to ask the—

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

It's kind of a point?

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

A generous chair would see it as a point of order and I know how generous you are.

During the course of our conversation I cited one paper by Professor Milner, and Professor Blais cited several papers. I just wonder if we could ask them—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Of course, yes.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

—to submit these to our analysts so that we can add them to our information.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, if you could submit those, it would be greatly appreciated.

Without further ado, we'll put an end to the meeting and will see some of you back at 1 p.m.

Thank you.