I think the wording used in the bill is fairly clear. In fact, section 18 states the following: “The Chief Electoral Officer may provide the public, both inside and outside Canada, with information on the following topics only [...]”.
So I think it's very legitimate to feel that the Chief Electoral Officer is being muzzled and that the government wants to make sure he can no longer communicate with the public on any topics other than those set out in the bill.
In addition, as my colleague just pointed out, the minister told us that this was not at all what the bill contained. Therefore, if the minister is saying so, I have a hard time understanding why the Conservatives are refusing an amendment that only clarifies things so as to remove any risk of the Chief Electoral Officer being muzzled. I think this is one of the most dangerous provisions of the bill. A steady line of witnesses have told us how important it was to give the Chief Electoral Officer the power to speak about any topics he deems appropriate. Even Preston Manning said that section 18 should be removed. I am having difficulty understanding how someone can vote against an amendment that simply confirms the minister's statement to the effect that this was untrue and that the bill was doing no such thing. Why not confirm that? Why not set it out, in black and white, to eliminate any doubts?
If we consider the government members' general comments about the Chief Electoral Officer, I think it's normal to have serious doubts about that party's intentions. There really seems to an element of vengeance against the Chief Electoral Officer. I think we definitely need to ensure that the bill's wording is clear and specific, so that the Chief Electoral Officer cannot be muzzled like he currently is under Bill C-23. That's why I will vote in favour of this amendment.