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.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
That's partisan. To be crystal clear, even if in the writ period you mention that this policy is really important, that counts towards the spending limit of the third party.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Okay.
Above and beyond those two clarifications, can you comment on the changes in Bill C-76 that make voting more accessible for those with disabilities and for those in remote areas?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
In remote areas, there is increased use of mobile polls, and that helps both with advance polling and on the actual day of. In the case of persons with disabilities, there's greater scope for support from Elections Canada, regardless of the type of disability. Currently it's limited, but now it will be more open. There's just more support provided.
Another element has to do with candidates who are required to care for people with disabilities. Ninety per cent of those costs are reimbursed.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Of course, candidates and parties would have a financial benefit for developing communication materials that are accessible for persons with disabilities.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Thanks very much.
I'm going through some of this information. I saw that last year.... By no means am I trying to pick on one organization or another, but when I look at political financing of third parties, I see that two trade unions gave $45,000.
Why is there inconsistency between what somebody can give a political party and what somebody can give a special interest group or a third party? Why are the rules different?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
This is speculation on my part, but I would just observe that political parties are dedicated to winning office and winning power; third parties have other and different interests.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
I'm just looking at a return right now. It shows two contributions of $45,000. We know that individuals can give only $1,500 and that corporations and any other groups, even unions, cannot give to political parties like that.
Why do we have two separate sets of rules?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
I can speak to political parties. There's a desire to provide limits on the amount that people and corporations and unions can pay to political parties in the interest of a fair and balanced system. Third parties perform a different function in society, and to date it hasn't been thought that you need to restrict their funding sources in the way you describe.
Conservative
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Okay, but if the entire idea of these organizations is to be politically involved, what is the difference between them and a party? They're just not running any candidates.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
Well, they're not trying to win power directly. In Bill C-76 you do have restrictions, both during the writ and in the pre-writ period.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
It's actually two, but it's the same topic.
You mentioned earlier Elections Canada's having the ability to promote to—I don't know how to put it—people who are living abroad, the expat voters. How would that be done? What are some examples of how they might promote the vote to those voters? How would we even know who or where they are unless they've been on the voters list before?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
We'd have to see how they exercise this responsibility. You could imagine they would provide some promotional material at high commissions and embassies and missions abroad. That would be one way. They might do something on their website to promote voting to Canadians overseas and in other countries.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
My other question relates to the same thing. In terms of declaring the last place of residence in Canada, how does that work for someone who's never lived in Canada? It is possible for someone who has never lived in Canada to be a citizen and be eligible to vote, is it not?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
No. Under the proposed legislation, they would have to have lived in Canada.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
They can't be a citizen who's never lived in Canada. They would have to have lived here at some point and have a residence.
Would they have to have been of voting age when they lived in Canada?
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
No.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
They could have lived in Canada as an infant, and as long as they know where that residence was that they lived in as an infant, they could choose to still vote, and that would be how they would declare.
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
Correct.
