I'd like to move it and request in advance, in case the gavel is particularly quick, a recorded vote on this one.
This again is an attempt to add a sixth item that can be part of the advertising about the exercise of democratic rights and to rephrase proposed subsection 18(1). The amendment states:
(f) the content of public education and information programs implemented by the Chief Electoral Officer—
That's probably going to end up being the Student Vote stuff, but it's maybe more general:
—to make the electoral process better known to the public and increase voter participation.
I think it's important that everybody in the room and others following this proceeding know that this is an amendment suggested by Mr. Preston Manning. In his testimony here, this was the wording he suggested that would cover off the problem he saw in the functional list that appears in proposed subsection18(1), the kind of how, when, and where items that the government feels advertising by Elections Canada should be limited to when it comes to the exercise of democratic rights.
Again, Preston Manning suggested adding this in order to effectively empower Elections Canada to more broadly reach out than the list the government has, the content of public education and information programs implemented by the Chief Electoral Officer to make the electoral process better known to the public and increase voter participation.