Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Feb. 12th, 2013

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

No, that's the suggestion from the MPs, right?

[An hon. member]

That's for Bow River.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Yes. So it's going to curl right around Lethbridge.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

There is somewhat of a change. The boundary for Battle River—Crowfoot changes.

So maybe you can answer another question I have here. I got the impression from their comments that they were just exchanging territory between the two and that there were no other ridings affected. Am I wrong on that?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes. They did suggest that Crowfoot picked up a piece south of the Red River, I think—

[A voice]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

—or the Bow.

[Benoit Montpetit]

They have the agreement of the MP.

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

All right. Okay.

[An hon. member]

We can see what he's saying about—

[An hon. member]

You can see that, and the boundary doesn't support it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Can I have one member at a time?

Go ahead, Mr. Armstrong.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

In the boundary commission's report, if you look at the Medicine Hat riding, for example, if you were living in the southwestern corner, you would have much more affiliation with the City of Lethbridge—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes, you're right beside it.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

—than you would with the City of Medicine Hat. We can see it now with the maps.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

So you can see what the rationale would be to move—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

—Bow River.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

—Warner County and Cardston County into that riding, because they would have no affiliation with Medicine Hat at all.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

It's a long way.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

So it'd be the rural riding surrounding Lethbridge, but the service centre would still be Lethbridge.

[An hon. member]

Right.

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

It makes sense when you see it on the map.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

The distance between the north and south is great, and they wouldn't have any affinity one to the other—

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Right.