Procedure and House Affairs Committee on April 25th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Sure. And it would be great if I had 50 hours in a day. I just don't.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

My point is that we knew in advance that they were in disagreement and that Mr. Van Loan didn't have a disagreement with his colleague. This is my point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Up until yesterday, I believe, or the day before, Mr. Van Loan had another member at the table with him, the member for Newmarket. She decided at the last minute not to attend. So we would have had two members for this half-hour.

I apologize for any inconvenience that's been made to you, Mr. Dion.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Not to me—to Mr. Scott and Mr. Hsu.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. MacKenzie.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Van Loan, looking at your map, there is a new riding immediately to the north. That new riding would include the south end of Barrie.

When I look at your population numbers...and my recollection of Barrie is that it is a fairly fast-growing part of this area of Ontario.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Correct.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Likely—we can't say for sure, but likely—the population of Barrie will increase to the south?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Barrie has been identified by the Province of Ontario as one of its growth centres in their provincial planning documents, so it is an area targeted for growth. Alcona is the fast growing area of Innisfil. It would also be included in the Barrie—Innisfil riding.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

All I'm saying, to go along with your argument, is that the population numbers here are what they are today, but the likelihood is that Barrie—Innisfil will be a fast-growing population area. Those numbers will go up from what you have here, and there's room to grow, where if it's left the way it is, it adds another 3,000 to start with.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

It's dangerous to ask a municipal lawyer and planner these questions. But as I said, Barrie and Innisfil are identified as a growth priority for the province.

Much of the York region side of this riding, which is on the other side, is actually identified as greenbelt, and it's frozen from development.

If the province's objectives are properly met, Barrie and Innisfil will be experiencing very significant growth.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

My point was that I agree with what you're saying, and I think it falls into those numbers even more so as we go forward.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

I think the commission actually did a fair bit of that, if you look at their work across the province. They did a fair bit of projecting that, but I think you're right, my proposed change will reflect that even more. We'll do a better job of accommodating that.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Mr. Scott.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Van Loan, I want to clarify a couple of points to make sure that when we come to write the report we have the facts. The MPs who are affected, the current MPs of the ridings that are affected.... What does that entail? That includes Simcoe—Grey, right?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

No. Simcoe—Grey is unaffected. It is bordering it and supports it.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

The north-south limits?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

But the land swap.... Right now, everything you see in white is the existing York—Simcoe, entirely my constituency, and everything you see in Barrie is Barrie.

Under the new proposals, Barrie gets carved into a Barrie South and a Barrie North, or Barrie—Innisfil and Barrie North, and takes up part of my riding.

Patrick Brown represents all of Barrie right now. His intentions or interests—I don't want to give away any secrets, but that's Barrie—Innisfil, the neighbouring one—will be affected, and certainly he sees it as his future interest too.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

The only reason I ask is that you need to talk to all MPs affected, including Patrick Brown. I want to make sure that there is nobody else that you needed to talk to?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

No, nobody else is affected.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

That's really the source of my confusion.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

There are other changes to the boundary, as I said, at the south end with Newmarket—Aurora, but we are both in accord with what the commission has proposed there.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

That sounds good.

You mentioned that although you hadn't had a chance to make this proposal, because you didn't yourself appear at the hearings, some citizens did.

I was wondering if it would be at all possible to have the transcripts of the hearings, just to....

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

No idea.