Evidence of meeting #76 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 proposal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jay Aspin Conservative Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
The lion's share, as I mentioned, would be the townships of Hudson and Harris. I don't have the population, but I do know that there are 737 voters in total.
NDP
Alexandrine Latendresse NDP Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Okay.
That is all for me. Mr. Cullen may have the rest of my time.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
You have one minute left, if one of your colleagues would like to take it up.
Madame Turmel.
Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC
I have a question for Mr. Hayes.
You mentioned that there was a change between the first and second hearings. When you learned about these changes, did you decide to send a brief? You decided not to appear, even though there were changes. I would like to know why.
Conservative
Bryan Hayes Conservative Sault Ste. Marie, ON
No, Mr. Aspin made it perfectly clear.
I did not participate in the hearing in Sault Ste. Marie. I did not send a brief to the hearing in Sault Ste. Marie; I sent a brief after the fact. I chose not to appear in Sault Ste. Marie or in North Bay, because as far as I was concerned, I didn't want to put myself in a position of political interference.
This whole process, from what I understood, was supposed to be non-political, with no political influence, and that's the route I chose to take. I just took a back step and let the grassroots constituents do what they had to do.
That's the way I chose to go about it.
Conservative
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all of my colleagues.
I would like to be sure that the committee has very clear understanding of what is going on.
If I'm not wrong, Madame Hughes has difficulty with the proposition of Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Thibeault has difficulty with the proposition of Mr. Hayes.
Mr. Angus has difficulty with the proposition of Mr. Aspin....
No? You have no difficulty at all?
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
No difficulty at all; and I would have supported Mr. Hayes, but the boundary commission told us that they would not allow an exemption for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing. They said it was not going to be allowed and that we had to divide up the population. That's why they came back and they were adamant.
Our only opposition to Mr. Hayes' proposition right now is that because they said they refused to recognize an exemption, even though Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing is very challenged, someone is going to have to make up that population, and that's what they told us.
That's why we're here. We don't object overall to the idea, but we are within the constraints of what the boundary commission told us.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
So Mr. Aspin's view is not objected to by anyone.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
But if I'm not wrong, Madame Hughes, you have the same view as Mr. Angus. You wouldn't object to Mr. Hayes' proposition if the commission were open to making an exception to have your riding below the 25% quota.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
That does not change the population of the other ridings. I think that is reliable. Mr. Hayes said that it would take 45 minutes by car to get to his office and about an hour to get to the Elliot Lake office. We do not expect people to come to our office. We go to them.
However, I can tell you that with the change this would make to Mr. Angus's riding, it would take three hours for people from Hearst to drive to Timmins.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I am a bit lost. What are you talking about?
If the commission agreed to give your riding an exemption, allowing it to be at 29.55%, below the provincial quota, you would not object to Mr. Hayes' proposal.
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
No, but are you taking into account the fact that the towns of Manitouwadge and Pic Mobert were transferred to Thunder Bay?
NDP
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
The commission is suggesting that we remove two communities from my riding and transfer them to Thunder Bay. Do your figures take into account that the communities will return to Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing?
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
The 29.55% represents the status quo.
The current electoral district of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing has a census population of 74,828 persons.
Is it the proposal of Mr. Hayes to have 74,828 persons, 29.55% below the provincial quota? Is that what you're proposing for Madame Hughes' riding?
Conservative