Evidence of meeting #29 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was election.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Pierre Lortie  Senior Business Advisor, Dentons Canada, As an Individual
Duff Conacher  Co-Founder and Board Member, Democracy Watch
Miriam Fahmy  Director, Research and Publications, Institut du Nouveau Monde
Steven Shrybman  Board Member, Council of Canadians
Simon Rowland  Chief Executive Officer, Direct Leap Technologies Inc.

12:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joe Preston

Ms. May, for one minute, please.

1 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

I thank my colleagues from the bottom of my heart.

Mr. Shrybman, I don't think you've had adequate time to explain the benefit of amending section 524 as you suggest. Could you use any seconds remaining to explain it?

1 p.m.

Board Member, Council of Canadians

Steven Shrybman

It's just to give electors the right to bring an action so they would have the right to discover the database of a political party and to name the political party as the defendant. That would empower electors to defend their democratic franchise in a meaningful way, a way that wasn't fully available to the clients I represented in the cases we brought.

1 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

In your opinion, could what occurred in the 2011 election campaign occur again if there are no changes?

1 p.m.

Board Member, Council of Canadians

Steven Shrybman

Yes, I expect that it will occur again and it will be harder to detect.

1 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Joe Preston

Thank you, Ms. May.

Thank you all today. We will gather again later as good friends at about seven o'clock tonight. I believe we're at 1 Wellington.

We are adjourned.