Evidence of meeting #30 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was elections.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
He will determine whether criminal prosecutions are appropriate.
Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
The commissioner will determine if there is an offence under the Canada Elections Act. He will also determine if there are violations of other acts, especially the Criminal Code.
Liberal
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
You were kind enough to mention that there were about 200 constituencies and almost 250 files. Could you provide the committee with more details, with something more specific about the current investigations and could you name the ridings that had complaints? How many complaints is that based on? Without getting into the details of the complaints per se, could this information be available to our committee?
Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
In general, we don't provide specific information about our investigations. It has to do with the presumption of innocence, privacy, the quality of the investigation, and so on.
That being said, in June, I might be able to provide you with more information about the workload and the way the commissioner's office is organized, if that is of any interest to the committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you, Mr. Garneau.
Mr. Del Mastro, to finish us off, go ahead for two minutes, please.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Thank you very much.
Just to kind of tie things up here, Mr. Mayrand—again, thank you for your appearance—you've indicated that in the 308 election results, you stand behind your determination of each and every riding. That's part of your report that you've already made to this committee, and I thank you for that.
You indicated in your report that you find it troubling to hear sometimes sweeping and vague allegations of irregularities being made public many months after the election and not supported by specific facts. We find that troubling as well. We've referred to that as the unsubstantiated smear campaign.
I'd also like to point out that we have a couple of former very significant...well, a police chief and a commissioner of the OPP, who have been involved in some very significant investigations. One of the things they're concerned with is some of the leaks. And I really want to say that I appreciate your commitment and your comment specifically with respect to keeping these things in the strictest confidence.
I can tell you that there's been harm. There's been harm to individuals. There's been harm to companies. Even though, for example, the member for Winnipeg Centre has apologized for a number of the outlandish things he said, and the NDP, there has been real harm done.
Can you just confirm to the committee that you're going to work to make sure that no leaks are occurring from Elections Canada? A number of folks in the media have in fact come forward and indicated to me that they feel Elections Canada has been the source of some of these things, or folks within Elections Canada. Can you just confirm that you're going to echo your comments to this committee that things will be kept in the strictest confidence?
Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
There's another case of vague allegation here.
Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
I can assure you, there's no source leaking from Elections Canada, if that's the allegation. I can attest to that.
I think someone should be checking their sources. There was an allegation in the media yesterday that a certain call was scheduled to be placed at midnight. We don't have that information, so it's certainly not coming from Elections Canada. Okay?
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
I thank you very much for that. Again, I appreciate your commitment to that, sir.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you, Mr. Del Mastro.
That finishes our rounds today.
Mr. Christopherson, did you say you had something?
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
My point of order is actually by way of a question to you. Is it in order for this committee to request the commissioner of elections to appear before us?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
It's the will of the committee. We've had the commissioner of elections before us in the past; it's the will of the committee to do so, I suppose.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Well, it just seems to me that Mr. Mayrand had to refer a lot of the questions back to the commissioner. If we're interested in getting whatever we can that is available in the public domain, it would make sense to invite the commissioner to come in and have a discussion with us too.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
No, it's not. He asked if it's in order, and in my opinion it is in order, but if you're going to rule that, I'd like to know.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
It is in order. On the point of order, it is in order that we do invite him.
I would refer the committee to its scheduling committee, if that's something they want to do. The committee on agenda could certainly look into having that happen.
NDP
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Would you not accept the motion right now, Chair, as being in order, that we invite the commissioner to come in, and then leave it to the steering committee to schedule the timing?
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
Chair, I was actually going to make basically the same motion.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON
I guess that means I've spoken in favour of it.