Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 5th, 2013

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Yes, but let me clarify that. They are exactly the same proposals. The only difference is they ask for municipal boundaries. So that we do not have a domino effect to my east, I am suggesting we don't mess with the Abbotsford—Langley boundary. That was not included in the proposal.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

You have some new information, but similar arguments were made to the commission.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Correct.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

After hearing the arguments and coming up with this map, did the commission give a rationale for proposing the map, which seems to be in opposition to some of the community groups you say made their representations known?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

The proposal was primarily due to the electoral quotient by population. It works, but I believe, and the community believes, it does not include the culture of the community, the community interests, and the community identity. It actually divides the community, and that's why the community is quite concerned.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you.

Mr. Cullen.

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

The presentation's good, Mark.

I'm having a little bit of a problem understanding this, because we can't do the three here. We see what was. We see what the commission has proposed. I'm trying to see this in terms of what you're suggesting.

Where I'm running into confusion is that right now you don't have any west Abbotsford in your riding. The new map is suggesting west Abbotsford gets included, right?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Correct.

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

You're okay with that?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Yes.

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

Because you don't want to cause this domino effect.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Correct.

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

That wasn't what was presented by the councillors and the chamber, but you are trying to anticipate other challenges.

Now I'm going to go to the eastern part of your riding.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

That was the eastern part we were just talking about.

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

Excuse me. I'm going to go to the western part of your riding, which is changing under all scenarios from what it was.

Under the current scenario, you only go so far, just to the outer edge of east Clayton. Is that right? I'm looking at the current maps, on the right-hand side. You're going to lose that section in there under the proposal.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Right. This area here is called Willoughby.

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

That's called Willoughby. Thank you. Willoughby doesn't appear on any of our maps, and I was trying to figure out where Willoughby was.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

This is not to scale. There are two different scales; these maps are slightly different.

Right now, Langley city is this small area here.

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

I see.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

This area here is Willoughby.

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

Yes.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

I'm asking that you use the municipal boundaries. Basically right about here, it's at 176 Street.

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

That's the new riding, yes?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

This is all part of the new riding.

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

That's all new.