Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 19th, 2013

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

No.

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

I thought you were. I thought that was the riding Mark represents.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

He currently represents Pemberton but not Whistler. That's what his riding currently does.

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

You're suggesting including Whistler.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I am. If you take Powell River out, you kind of have to add Whistler and Pemberton, which wish to be together, by the way—

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

I understand that....

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

—in the Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon riding.

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

Then you would have the person who represents Squamish not representing Whistler.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

That's right.

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

Okay. Chilliwack—Hope would stay the same. Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon would enlarge to take in all of those communities. West Vancouver.... Then I want to see if there are any implications on Kamloops. I think in your letter you said the commission has a tough job, which is to add seats in these places. This is how it works. You add a seat and you move.... It's funny, because you start over here on the coast with Powell River, and you end up talking about Kamloops, which is strange, but it's what happens.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

You understand British Columbia. Right now the 26 Lower Mainland ridings on average are under the quotient. Those on Vancouver Island are over. In the interior of the province they're over. The singular exception for the interior is your riding. To me, they've put a priority on the Lower Mainland and....

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

The direct implication of what both of you are saying is that this is a Vancouver problem, but you're bearing the brunt of it, essentially.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Yes.

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

This map, which Scott and Craig have talked about, would be very helpful, because otherwise I'm left drawing squiggly lines on a map, and I don't feel confirmed in what I'm understanding, and I have to take your word for the domino.... I think I have got it more or less, James, with you in terms of what you're suggesting for Nanaimo. You think the domino stops at the bottom of that riding. These implications going into the interior—and I do sympathize, John, because I've been on that ferry to Powell River a bunch of times. I'm just trying to figure out the implications going back into the Lower Mainland if this committee is going to then say to get out the pens and start really rejigging. It will be tricky, and we're trying to make it not tricky.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Are there any further questions? There's time for one or two one-offs if you need them. If not, we'll finish with this panel and move on to the New Brunswick report.

Mr. Lunney.

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

I have a last comment. At the end of the day, we're talking about roughly 25,000 people in Powell River who have an affinity...they're part of the Sunshine Coast, and no one wants to be attached to Vancouver Island. We have the population on Vancouver Island to sustain seven ridings within the commission's target. There has to be a solution on the Lower Mainland. That would be the brunt of our presentation on behalf of Vancouver Island.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Vancouver Island, for coming to visit us today. I feel like I've spent a sunny morning there instead of a snowy day in Ottawa.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I golfed on Saturday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I don't want to hear. Okay, he gets none of what he wants.

[An hon. member]

You're just blowing it. You're losing ground, my friend.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

We will suspend for a minute while we go in camera.

[Proceedings continue in camera]