Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to clarify a few things. This recommendation is not that strong. We are talking about consultations. We are not saying that the Chief Electoral Officer should approve any changes the minister would like to make. The minister is free to make changes not recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer or not to follow a recommendation from Elections Canada. The only obligation the minister has is to consult that agency. The Chief Electoral Officer's main role is to enforce the Canada Elections Act. He is this country's foremost expert on elections legislation. So he can see first-hand what the current issues with the legislation are and can recommend what changes should be made to enhance it as much as possible. That's his job, his main role. I don't see why we couldn't include in the legislation—as is the case in the United Kingdom and a number of Commonwealth countries—a provision that would ensure that election laws would not be changed without consultation with the person this issue affects the most.
I think it's unfortunate the government is unwilling to accept this amendment. As my colleagues were saying earlier, this is something that goes without saying. We shouldn't have to put this provision on paper. It's unfortunate that we have to use an amendment, so that the government would accept it. I think there's really a problem if we cannot ensure that no amendments to the Canada Elections Act will be made without consultation with the Chief Electoral Officer.