Evidence of meeting #106 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was elections.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Liberal
NDP
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Our witnesses don't have any opening statements, so we're ready for questions.
Who wants to go first?
Ms. Tassi.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for your presence here today.
I want to start by speaking about student engagement. I worked in a high school for 20 years, and I currently represent a riding that has three post-secondary institutions, so student engagement and student participation are very important to me.
This issue of the voter information card has come up. We often connect it with seniors, but I think it's also important for students, because not all students have driver's licences. My daughter is a perfect example. Bills come to me, not to her, at my house, and she still lives with us, so I think that the use of the voter information card as a piece for vouching is important, and you're using that in conjunction with other identification so it doesn't stand alone.
I'm looking at other things this bill does that encourage student participation and engagement. I would like first for you to comment on the youth registry. Can you explain how that works, how the information is kept, and how the information is gained in the first instance?
Allen Sutherland Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
I'll just take a moment on the voter information card to say you're right that both students and seniors are least likely to have indications of residence, so the voter information card might be particularly important to those two groups.
On the issue of further improving engagement among students, it has been a long-standing problem that our next generation do not vote as often as older generations. We saw a bit of a change in the last election. It's something I know Elections Canada, indeed, all people interested in democracy, want to continue.
There are a couple of proposals in the proposed legislation that I think deal with it. One is the registry of future electors. The idea here is to develop a registry of young people who would, upon their 18th birthday, be registered for elections. The idea is that they would help develop that first appetite. The mystery of voting would drop when it's included, in fact, with civics classes, which some high schools have. I know Ontario has it, and other provinces do too. The idea of the registry of future electors plus civics classes would help demystify voting and get young people that first taste of voting, and once they have acquired that taste, it would ensure we have electors for life.
The other element that I think is important is participation in Elections Canada. There's a real issue the year of an election getting a sufficient number of people to work the polls, do all the interesting, supportive things we expect as Canadians to ensure the polls work well, and get the experience of Elections Canada. In her remarks, the minister mentioned the B.C. experience about the Youth at the Booth program, all of which suggests that, in fact, it's a great idea to get youth involved, let them see behind the scenes how elections really work, help create that taste for voting, and create that solid democratic foundation that we want to continue as part of our culture and heritage.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I think that's great. I think the polling stations are probably more advanced in technology than any of us. I know they're going to speed things up.
With respect to the safety of the information, the names and addresses of the students, can you give assurance that this information is safeguarded and protected? Who has access to that information?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
First, you're absolutely right about the technology part of it, and I think Elections Canada has thought of that.
The information in the registry would be held by Elections Canada. Just to assure everyone, Elections Canada is behind the Government of Canada firewall and so has the protections that entails.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
You made a comment in your answer to the previous question that there was a bit of an increase in youth participation in the last election. Do you have the research that indicates what that can be credited to?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
It was an increase of about 10%, if I recall. I think it was just the level of—
Do you know the number?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
Okay. I thought you did.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I was just raving about the Prime Minister. He may have been the one who drew them to the....
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
It was interest in the campaign, we believe.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Yes.
The one thing I witnessed in my own riding that I thought was spectacular was that the advanced polling....
There was an opportunity for students to vote at the university campus, which is where my son and I went to cast our votes.
Having it on campus did a number of things. It created awareness. Different groups and clubs within the university, non-partisan included, would encourage people to vote. It was easy. The students could go there and vote in advance.
Do you think that might have been part of the increase?
What's the plan in looking at the numbers of polling stations, for example, that were included in the last election and those moving forward? Are we going to increase them? What sort of increase are we looking at?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
The proposal in the legislation is to extend the hours of advance polling from nine to nine. It has more in mind, I think, to provide a little more flexibility to the adults who have day jobs.
You're quite right. Advance polling has been a big success story in recent years in getting the vote out. About 25% of Canadians voted in advance polls last election.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I want to address the wait times. I think we all face this.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Quickly then, what are we doing to reduce wait times? We know there are surges in polling stations. People get off work, and then you have the surge. What is being done in this legislation to help reduce wait times when people are going to the polling station to vote?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
A couple of things in the proposed legislation address that issue.
One of them is more flexibility on the part of Elections Canada to deploy their staff more effectively. There are a lot of hidebound rules in the current legislation; people can do some things but not others. The CEO needs more flexibility in how he deploys his staff.
The other thing is just smart use of technology. The modernization part of this proposed legislation would allow improved use of technology to get people through the system more quickly. Some rules around signatures will be dropped in the case of advance polls. While maintaining integrity, that's seen as a way of moving people through the system so they have a better experience when they're voting.
I think the other thing is—and we've all experienced this—you're in the queue at the grocery store. If your lineup is really long and there's a short lineup, previously in Elections Canada you couldn't move to the short lineup. What's being proposed in the legislation is the ability to move people to where the lineup is shortest so they can move through the system more efficiently.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
It's not an alphabetical or a geographical queue.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
Exactly.
