Evidence of meeting #4 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
At this point in time, we're only seized with this matter that goes back to two elections.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
All right.
How many dollars worth of court costs have you been required to repay to the Conservative Party? I understand they were awarded costs.
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
Well, again, since there has been an appeal, no amount has been set.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
It won't be set until the appeal is settled one way or the other.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
I'd like a confirmation that no number was set. If you can send that in writing stating that no number was set, I would appreciate it.
In the event you go to the higher courts and on one or both of the appeals you lose, is it your intention to then appeal beyond that until you run out of avenues of appeal?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
Again, that's not something I can determine today. It will depend on the decision.
Whether I lose, if...depending on what will be the impact of the decision on the general administration of the Canada Elections Act and what principles are being raised by the court.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
How many man-hours or person-hours of time have been devoted by Elections Canada employees and contractors, and lawyers working on your behalf who have been billed out by Elections Canada and by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, in pursuit of these two court actions and the general issue of the materials that were seized from the Conservative Party, all of that family of legal issues?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
That's reflected in the amount that was mentioned earlier. All external expenses are reflected in those amounts. What's not reflected in those expenses is permanent Elections Canada staff.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Would you be able to give us the man-hours or person-hours of Elections Canada staff, the Commissioner of Elections people, people who have been contracted in, lawyers who billed you, and all that stuff? I assume you'd be able to dig that up for us and submit it to us?
11:45 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
Notionally, yes; I guess for contractors, disbursement to third parties, no problem--
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
It's the hours I'm after, not the dollars.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, the member made a request for information. It's not clear whether or not he achieved consent from the witness to provide that information. Let us be clear on the exact information that we are seeking. In his answer, he changed the information that he was going to provide from the question that was put forward by the member.
So perhaps we could keep it fairly precise.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Mr. Reid, very quickly ask what you were asking for so that we can get a yes or no.
11:45 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
It was the person-hours for Elections Canada staff, both permanent and otherwise, staff who come from the Commissioner of Elections, and anybody who was contracted, including lawyers but also including any other external persons who were contracted.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
11:50 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
I will provide you the cost for external lawyers--
11:50 a.m.
Some hon. members
No.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
No, no, actually, he's got a point; sorry, he's got a point.
11:50 a.m.
Chief Electoral Officer, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
May I complete the answer?
11:50 a.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
I think the witness should be able to complete his answer.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Let's get the whole answer and then we'll distribute when it's needed.