Yes.
Evidence of meeting #110 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 political.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #110 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 political.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:35 p.m.
Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
Okay. In some way I think this connects to having only individuals being able to donate, because an organization is able to donate to itself. An organization is able to get donations from other organizations. Then, yes, once that magic period starts, they're still able to get organization donations but they're not supposed to use foreign money, but if it's already in their account, then—
12:40 p.m.
Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
—yes, you can't start dividing it up. That would be impossible.
Returning to Mr. Richard's question, if we did regulate contributions all the time, and you have your roughly maximum $1,700 a year and that goes into your election advertising account, and you don't have organizations donate, that would be a way of making sure, I think, that you don't have commingling.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Sorry, run the scenario for me.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, or Leadnow, or any of the participants who may hire door knockers or do political advertising, which are now all included, what would they do exactly? Prior to the next election, what would they do?
12:40 p.m.
Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
They would only be able to take election contributions from individuals at the same maximum that applies to parties, put them in their election account, and that's what you have.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
In order to be a participant in the election, if you're going to choose to register yourself, you would essentially not make yourself a political party, but you would assume the same restriction that a political party has.
12:40 p.m.
Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
That's exactly right.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I wondered about this. If you want to play in this game, if you want to be in this conversation, should you have the same limits and restrictions and accountability that all of us as political parties have who are participating in the conversation?
The Liberal Party, the NDP, the Conservatives couldn't simply commingle money and say none of that's foreign, that it's just for rent and hydro at party offices.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
This is Canadian money that we're spending on it. We couldn't do that. Elections Canada would hammer us.
12:40 p.m.
Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, As an Individual
No, you can't—exactly.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Okay.
We're not going to be able to make that change prior to 2019. Even if this committee agreed and Parliament agreed to that, this bill has been introduced so late.
I'm very interested in what you just said just in terms of levelling the playing field and having transparency for Canadians. The advertisements they're seeing, the door knocker who they're hearing on the doorstep, have only been solicited by Canadian interests.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you for that.
Mr. Emery, I heard your sense of urgency: get this done.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Wouldn't that have been great 18 months ago, in Bill C-33?
If you were a government and you said a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian, for example, and that they should be allowed to vote, and this was important to you, and you introduced the bill 18 months ago and then did nothing, what are you telling the expat community?
12:40 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Citizens Rights Council
Well, certainly the expat community would have welcomed that to move forward.
We are where we are. We hope that Bill C-76 moves.