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.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Andre Barnes  Committee Researcher
Allen Sutherland  Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office
Manon Paquet  Senior Policy Advisor, Privy Council Office
Jean-François Morin  Senior Policy Advisor, Privy Council Office
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Andrew Lauzon
Stéphane Perrault  Acting Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Canada
Anne Lawson  General Counsel and Senior Director, Legal Services, Elections Canada

5:45 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

We're out canvassing. All the parties are out canvassing on the west coast. It's 4:30 or five o'clock and we're knocking on doors. We get to doors of whatever type of voter and they say, “I just heard on the news what's going to happen or what's likely to happen.”

As you say, we always want to encourage people to vote. This is a discouragement, and it has actually been said that a voter on the west coast has been given privileged information that a voter on the east coast did not have, which is how seats are starting to be determined. One of the foundations in our voting laws is that no voter should have more information than another, just inherently.

5:45 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

May 28th, 2018 / 5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Is there nothing we can do about this?

5:45 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

Allen Sutherland

There's nothing in the bill that addresses that.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

That's too bad, because there are a lot of voters who would like to do something about it. Is there any section of the bill that deals with things such as voter information that we could then apply through amendment? In terms of scope and whatnot, we have limitations on how we amend a bill.

I grew up in Toronto, so I did not see this reality until I moved to the west coast. I thought, what are they all complaining about? Then you go through a couple of elections and it's more than annoying. It actually makes you feel a little less of a participant in the action, simply because my good friend Andy and his family have already gone out and voted; the results have already been released, and good or bad for whoever's party, they start to affect the voter decisions down the line, whereas in Mr. Fillmore's case or in others, they're not affected by some type of pre-outcome, other than polls, which are as good as a poll is.

5:45 p.m.

LCdr Jean-François Morin

This issue is a long-standing one, and it relates to the fact that Canada spans, what, six time zones?

5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Five and a half time zones

5:45 p.m.

LCdr Jean-François Morin

Voting times used to be the same all across Canada. A few years ago, staggered voting hours were implemented. Yes, there used to be provisions in the Canada Elections Act that restricted publication.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

That was challenged in court.

5:45 p.m.

LCdr Jean-François Morin

That was challenged in court and the government of the day asked Parliament to repeal those provisions, and they were repealed.

5:45 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Right. There were provisions in law that prevented the expression of voting results through the public airways, and the Supreme Court said, “CTV and CBC, you can't publish this.” Parliament then brought in a new law to say it's okay to go ahead and do it.

I guess we're just spitballing here. Why can we not simply start releasing the results in a staggered fashion? Don't even count the boxes for an hour or an hour and a half.

5:45 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

Allen Sutherland

They have tried a few things in terms of staggering voter hours. It's interesting that with all the advance polling and the increasing use of advance polls, that actually reduces the problem that you identify, right?

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

How so?

5:50 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

Allen Sutherland

Voters who vote in an advance poll in British Columbia or in Newfoundland have registered their vote at the same time with the same information.

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Right, but the advance poll, which I think is great and we're doing more of it because it's more convenient for Canadians, would say that staggering the voting release would actually be easier because you're counting so many fewer votes on election night. That's what we were told. The volunteers and the workers for Elections Canada are old and they don't want to stay up late.

5:50 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

Allen Sutherland

Yes.

I'm not agreeing that they're old.

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

You did say yes. It's on the record.

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

We have to move on.

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Chair, I have one last question.

If 30% or 40% of the votes have already been registered and counted, in terms of just not releasing the results, could we not make an amendment within this bill? Do you believe we could make an amendment in the bill to effect the thing that I'm addressing?

5:50 p.m.

Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Machinery of Government, Privy Council Office

5:50 p.m.

LCdr Jean-François Morin

We will leave to this committee the decision as to whether such an amendment would be receivable and would be passed. That said, one of the concerns that has been expressed by the acting chief electoral officer and that would be expressed by those persons who have done some electoral observation around the world is one of integrity. There is often suspicion when election administrations hold up the release of election results. That is the reason that election results are usually not held up once they're available.

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

It's not Estonia.

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

We have a few people here, so let's not take too long for each person.

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Sorry, Chair.