Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 1st, 2014

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Okay. Let me say in advance that this is why we have amendment NDP-47, because for two months now there have been some members of civil society who think that this provision actually means that you can only spend $150,000 from the last election through to the end of the next election. I've been doing my best to tell them, no, I don't think that's the right interpretation. So this helps.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Thank you. We're off that and back to—

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

I'm sorry, but Craig makes a good point. We want to be really clear on this, because there is perhaps some confusion out there—or maybe purposeful confusion.

I mentioned one other scenario possibility, not just on the production costs but of someone's pre-paying television ads. Honestly, I don't know whether you can do this, and I used to be in the business. I'm not familiar with it, but I've been told that literally you can prepay a bunch of television ads a month or two months in advance and then not incur anything during the 37-day writ period.

So in your interpretation, would this capture that as well? Would it be considered an election expense?

[Marc Chénier]

Under the provisions of the bill, that is a correction that is made to the act to ensure that they would be covered.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

We'll hear Mr. Christopherson on the same issue.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

This is just to nail down that I understand it.

Is the legal principle the same as getting your signs printed ahead of time? If you bring the signs into the campaign, even if they are from the last campaign you have to count them as assets at full cost. Is this attempting to do the same thing, so that there is no way to use something in the campaign that avoids the cap? That's what this would do.

Is that a fair connection for me to make in comparison?

[Marc Chénier]

That's correct.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Very good. Thank you, and thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Does everybody know where we are?

Then, could they explain it to the chair?

I'm at amendment G-22. If there is no further discussion on amendment G-22, shall it carry?

The vote will apply to the one that is being or has been handed out. It also covers amendment G-24.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Does this new amendment carry with amendment G-22, or is this going to be separate?

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

A yes on amendment G-22 will be a yes on the new one and on amendment G-24, apparently.

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Right.

All I would say is that this new amendment is exactly what I was trying to do with amendment NDP-47. We will be voting for it, and I think it's going to result in the government's having a complete winning streak of not voting for a single NDP amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

There you go. You're looking for motive where maybe none applies.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

No, I know. Nonetheless, I will support it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

The question is on amendment G-22.

(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

That votes passes amendment G-22, the one that was just distributed, and amendment G-24.

Mr...uh...Christopherson.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

“Dave” will work, but I hear you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

Yes, I was at that part. I just couldn't get the last name.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

That's okay. I was waiting to hear “repetition”.

I talked to you earlier, Chair, about this. At five o'clock we end this process and move into another phase. I had asked whether we were going to have a little break, and I wonder whether we can make it a 15-minute break. I am asking a favour. Otherwise, it requires, if we come back in five or ten minutes—we have a couple of things we have to do—that we would have to bring substitutes in for five minutes.

I'm just asking whether we could have a 15-minute break at five o'clock as we switch from debating the clauses to doing pure voting.

[The Chair, Conservative, Joe Preston]

I know that this night is always the time when people are trying to get out of here and go on to other things too, so I'm going to go to Mr. Lukiwski.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

We know—the press release is out there—that you're doing a scrum at five o'clock. We had a deal for five minutes, David, and I want to stick to five minutes. If you want to bring people in, you're still going to do what you're going to do, but let's keep this going.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Just remember when you want a favour that what goes around comes around.

I accept that. Thank you. I have a good memory.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

I hate giving out favours when you're going to go out there and crap all over us.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Every favour I do, you can do that to us.