Thank you, Chair.
Welcome, witnesses, and thank you for your presentations. My question is very brief, and it's really to all of you.
Ms. McGrath mentioned the concern, I think quite appropriately, about a government not using government public advertising. The concern, which we should all properly have, is that the government not misuse its power of public policy announcements and advertising, confusing voters who might otherwise think that what is political advertising is really government advertising.
I think that's an appropriate caution, but as officials, as you all are, of national political parties, I'd be very interested to know your specific experience, concern, or otherwise with the issue that's raised by some, that where you have a fixed date, it can lead to prolonged election campaigning--the year before, say--and constrain a government's ability to get its business done. So it can impact policy, potentially, and have a financial drain impact, or be a financial advantage.
Those are some concerns we've heard. We'd welcome and value your views on whether those are realistic problems with regard to fixed election dates--or flexible fixed election dates, as this is--or whether, if there are concerns at all, there are other ways to overcome those concerns.
Thank you.