Welcome to the 29th meeting of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. This is the fourth day of our cross-Canada tour, aimed at consulting Canadians about changing the federal voting system.
What a lovely day in Joliette! And what a lovely city! We were very impressed as we entered the city by bus. The downtown area is truly magnificent. It is a cultural hub here in Quebec; the Festival de Lanaudière is an example of that.
It's been a pleasure to have Mr. Ste-Marie with us during the last four days. He also joins us regularly when the committee meets in Ottawa.
We will be welcoming three groups of witnesses today in Joliette. This will be followed by a public comments period, in which members of the public will have the opportunity to take the microphone and share their viewpoints on electoral reform.
Here is a brief overview of how we will work. Each witness will have 10 minutes to testify—that is, to present their ideas and perspectives on electoral reform. The testimonies will be followed by a set of questions from the members seated around the table. Each member will have the chance to make a statement and discuss with the witnesses for five minutes. This includes the questions and the answers. We will then move on to another member, so that each member can talk with the witnesses.
We will begin with Professor Csaba Nikolenyi.
I should note that there are headsets for access to the interpreters. Even if you don't need an interpreter, you can use the earpiece simply to hear the discussion better. That's what I do in the House, where one cannot hear a thing because of the deficient acoustics.
Professor Nikolenyi, you have the floor for 10 minutes.