Evidence of meeting #66 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 surrey.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Yes, it's not possible, but you agree that West Vancouver must remain a single riding?
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
The residents of West Vancouver have also voiced their opinions through the letter that the West Vancouver mayor gave me last week.
Liberal
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Yes. The people in Powell River feel it is important to be in the same riding.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
So what will you lose as a result of your proposal? What are you giving to other ridings?
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Right now, I represent a part of North Vancouver, which is already in the neighbouring riding. It is true that we will lose part of the population. The question is whether it is possible to keep everything that is there now. Pemberton is now outside that riding. Pemberton and Whistler wish to be together. So it is a Sophie's choice situation.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Okay.
If we did what was best for you right now, the population quotient would be too high compared to the average of the province, correct?
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
If we keep everything that is there now...
Liberal
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
I think my colleague did the math.
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC
I believe that if Powell River were added, and Whistler and Pemberton remained in, then West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country would be 27% over the....
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
So there's our answer.
I would like to invite you, dear colleagues, to give us the big picture, by which I mean this.
If we were to do what you are proposing, how many ridings would be affected by the domino effect? Would you say that all MPs affected are on board with what you are proposing? As well, would you say that the gap with the provincial quota would be within the range of 5% to 10%, plus or minus?
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC
It's my understanding that this would affect, as you heard from Mr. Duncan and Mr. Lunney, their ridings. It would obviously affect West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, and it would affect Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. That's where the ripple would stop.
With the proposal that I have presented, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon would be plus 2% from the provincial target, and West Vancouver would be plus 12%, so it would be within the range of what was proposed certainly by the commission.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
So how is it that found a solution that the commission called “unfeasible”?
Conservative
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I will quote the commission: Given that the 2011 census population of the lower Sunshine Coast was 28,619, the Commission viewed its inclusion with Powell River as unfeasible.
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
I think that was due to the overall population of the riding. What Mr. Strahl has proposed reduces the population of the riding so that it would at least be narrowly within the maximum.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
If you did not propose your overall suggestions, colleagues, of yesterday and today, it that because the commission came with its new, somewhat surprising proposal to you?
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC
I think, speaking only of what I've spoken to Mr. Duncan and Mr. Lunney about, certainly having Powell River move back to Vancouver Island from the Mainland was a surprise, and was not accounted for. That's a major shift that affects—
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC
That's my understanding—certainly not. It had been there in 1993, but certainly it was comfortable on the Sunshine Coast. The first draft included Powell River, I believe....
Oh, had they come across already? Okay.
