Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's great to have everybody back here in the middle of summer and to see that we are all anxious to get back to work.
I recognize that we're here to discuss the matter you have already mentioned, Mr. Chair, but I'd like to suggest that, since we have this august group together, we also look at studying another question that seems to be on the top of everybody's mind today, including that of the Chief Electoral Officer, who made a statement on television today about the study of veiled voters or voting while veiled. Because of the upcoming byelections and the need to help bring this to some sort of conclusion, I suggest it might be a topic of discussion for this committee too, and I'd like to move a motion to that effect--that we talk about it. And because of the timeliness of it, we might even want to discuss it first.
The Chief Electoral Officer today stated that he needs the help of this committee in making up his mind or in coming to a conclusion on the voting by veiled individuals. We thought we had covered this reasonably well, as this committee had discussed and passed Bill C-31. I thought we had brought it to a reasonably good conclusion. The interpretation of the new legislation seems to be not as clear to the Chief Electoral Officer, and I'd like us to discuss that, if we could.