Evidence of meeting #37 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site.) The winning word was move.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
—and now I'm at amendment PV-45, which includes amendment LIB-30 in some way. They're the same thing.
Which of you would like the honour?
I think I'm going to go with Ms. May. She gets so little time.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
I was just about to say that I think you should go to Ms. May.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
All I can say is that now that the retention period has moved to three years, I'm assuming that the motion that both the Liberal amendment and my amendment move to a five-year retention, will the government amend to ensure that it's five years in all cases, or merely three, as in the case of the last amendment?
In other words, is my amendment still relevant, given that we just adopted three years?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
You're just adding two years, apparently.
It's to a different clause.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Yes, but it's again to a five-year period.
That explains my amendment and also the Liberal amendment.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you.
Is there further conversation on amendment PV-45?
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
That is defeated, as is amendment LIB-30.
Amendment PV-46 is identical to amendment LIB-31.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
This amendment again makes a change to a five-year retention.
Just to make sure we're not losing track, this would replace line 2, on page 45, under clause 77, and instead of one year it would be a five-year retention period.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Is there further discussion on amendment PV-46?
Seeing none, I call the question.
(Amendment negatived)
The amendment is defeated. That also defeats Liberal-31.
Amendment PV-48 is all by itself.
Speak for yourself, Ms. May.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
It may be there's a reason that other parties don't want to do what my amendment will accomplish. My amendment is consistent with recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer. We're regulating the calling activities of political parties. We know that we often hire—people hire—third-party firms to do automated calls. However, there are also calls made by political parties, by their own volunteers, sometimes by staff, but they are live calls made within political parties and electoral district associations.
This is on the recommendation of the Chief Electoral Officer, which the Green Party supports. The amendment, PV-48, would amend clause 77, at page 45, to include a new section 348.19, which would ensure that during an election a person or a group—which is a term that is inclusive of not just the third-party robocall firms or third-party groups, but would include political parties—is using its own internal resources to make live voice calls for any purpose relating to the election. Those voter contact calling services would also fall under this act, in terms of retention of scripts, retention of information, and so on.
It takes the existing section and basically applies it to political parties.
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
I'd only note that this in fact is not one of the recommendations from the CEO. It's something that escaped their attention.
It is something that I did bring up, so, as we did on the last one, we'll be voting for this.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Thank you.
I call the question on amendment PV-48.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
On Liberal-32, Mr. Simms....
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL
Yes, sir.
I'm going to be brief on this one, as I'm sure there are other things you want to get to.
It is what it is. It says, “which the script was used, for five years after the”, so we're keeping the script for five years instead of one year.
This replaces line 13, which makes the distinction, on page 45.
I'll leave it at that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
Super.
I call the question on Liberal-32.
(Amendment negatived)
On amendment NDP-43....
NDP
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Chair, I'll just alert you now that with regard to NDP-43, NDP-44, and NDP-45, I won't move those.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joe Preston
They're moved to the pile that's already been completed, or it's no longer going to have to have to have any—
Conservative