Evidence of meeting #123 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 clause.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Linda Lapointe  Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.
Stephanie Kusie  Calgary Midnapore, CPC
Jean-François Morin  Senior Policy Advisor, Privy Council Office
Manon Paquet  Senior Policy Advisor, Privy Council Office

3:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

I call the meeting to order.

Good afternoon. Welcome to the 123rd meeting of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

For members' information, today's meeting is being televised as we continue our study of Bill C-76, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and other Acts and to make certain consequential amendments.

We are pleased to be joined by the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Democratic Institutions. She is accompanied by officials from the Privy Council Office: Manon Paquet, Senior Policy Advisor, and Jean-François Morin, Senior Policy Advisor.

Thank you, Minister Gould, for coming back. I will turn the floor over to you for some opening remarks.

3:35 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Democratic Institutions

Thank you very much, Chair, and the committee, for inviting me here again. I am delighted to be back with my officials to look into BillC-76 before you start your clause-by-clause study of the legislation.

I'd like to thank you for your commitment to study Bill C-76, the elections modernization act. I truly appreciate the hard work you have already put into studying this pivotal piece of legislation, one that will, I believe, help strengthen our electoral laws and safeguard our future elections at the federal level here in Canada.

Our government is committed to strengthening Canada's democratic institutions and restoring Canadians' trust and participation in our democratic process.

I firmly believe that the strength of our democracy depends on the participation of as many Canadians as possible. I also firmly believe that the elections modernization act is the right piece of legislation to make our electoral process more accessible for all Canadians.

This bill will reduce the barriers to participation that Canadians currently face when voting or participating in the democratic process in general.

No Canadian should face barriers to voting, whether they live abroad, are in the Canadian Forces, are studying at university or are without a fixed address.

Reinstating the voter identification card as a proof of residency means making voting easier for more Canadians. Restoring the option of vouching for another eligible Canadian means making voting easier for more Canadians. Voting is a right, and it is our responsibility to make voting accessible to as many Canadians as possible.

Through Bill C-76, we are extending accommodation measures to include all people with disabilities, not just those with physical disabilities.

The bill will increase support and assistance to voters with disabilities at polling stations, regardless of their type of disability, and will provide them with the opportunity to vote at home.

Canadians with disabilities may also find it more difficult to participate in political campaigns because campaign materials in offices are not accessible. Bill C-76 will encourage political parties and candidates to accommodate electors with disabilities by creating a financial incentive through reimbursement of expenses related to accommodating measures. For example, this would include sign language interpretation during an event and making the format of material more accessible.

This bill also amends election expenses so that candidates with disabilities and candidates caring for a young family member who is ill or disabled find it easier to run for election.

The bill will allow candidates to use their own funds, in addition to campaign funds, to pay for disability-related expenses, child care costs or other relevant expenses related to home care or health care. These expenses will be reimbursed up to 90%.

Our Canadian Armed Forces members make tremendous sacrifices in protecting and defending our democracy. The elections modernization act will make it easier for our soldiers, sailors and air personnel to participate in our democracy. It allows our CAF members the same flexibility as other Canadians in choosing where to cast their ballot, whether it be to vote at regular polls where they reside in Canada, to vote abroad, to vote at advanced polls, or to vote in special military polls as they currently do.

Many of us have constituents in our ridings who have lived in Canada but who are currently living abroad. Whether they are there to work or study, Canadians living abroad should always have the opportunity to participate in our democratic process and to express themselves on issues that affect them.

Bill C-76 will remove the requirement that non-resident electors must have been residing outside Canada for fewer than five years. It will also remove the requirement that non-resident electors intend to return to Canada to resume residence in the future. This will extend voting rights to over one million Canadians who are living abroad.

As a federal government, it is our responsibility to make it easier and more convenient for Canadians to vote. This includes their experience during the voting process, whether it is at the advance polls or on election day.

The elections modernization act provides Canadians with more flexibility by increasing the hours of advance polls to 12-hour days. We will also streamline the intake procedures during regular and advance polls.

This bill will also expand the use of mobile polling stations on advance polling days and election day to better serve remote, isolated or low-density communities.

For Canadians to participate fully in their democratic right to vote, they must first know when, where and how to vote. Historically, Elections Canada has conducted various educational activities with Canadians as part of its election administration mandate.

In 2014, the previous government limited the Chief Electoral Officer's education mandate, removing the CEO's abilities to offer education programs to new Canadians and historically disenfranchised groups.

Our government believes that we should empower Canadians to vote and participate in our democracy. We believe that the Chief Electoral Officer should be able to communicate with all Canadians on how to exercise their democratic right.

This is not about partisanship. This is about providing electors with information related to the logistics of voting, such as where, when and how to cast a vote. We want Canadians to be ready for election day, no matter what political party they vote for.

This also means preparing first-time voters. The creation of a register of future electors will allow Canadian citizens between the ages of 14 and 17 to register with Elections Canada. When they turn 18, they will be automatically be added to the voters list.

While more young people voted in 2015 than in previous elections—57% of voters aged 18 to 24 voted—their rate of participation was still lower than that of older Canadians. In fact, 78% of voters aged 65 to 74 voted. This measure will encourage more young Canadians to participate in our democratic process.

As the Minister of Democratic Institutions, it is my responsibility to ensure we maintain the trust of Canadians in our democratic process. The elections modernization act will make it more difficult for election lawbreakers to evade punishment by strengthening the powers of the commissioner of Canada elections and offering a wider range of tools for enforcement.

By making the Commissioner of Canada Elections more independent and giving him new powers to enforce the Canada Elections Act and investigate violations, we will continue to work to ensure the strength and security of our democratic institutions.

The commissioner of Canada elections will be independent from the government, moving back to Elections Canada and reporting to Parliament though the Chief Electoral Officer rather than a senior member of cabinet.

He will also have new powers with the administrative option to impose monetary penalties for minor violations of the act related to election advertising, political financing, third-party expenses and minor voting violations. Most importantly, he will also have the power to lay charges without the prior approval of the director of public prosecutions and will be able to seek a court order to compel a witness to testify during an investigation of electoral offences.

Through budget 2018, the government allocated $7.1 million over five years, beginning in 2019, to support the work of the office of the commissioner of Canada elections. This funding will help ensure the Canadian electoral process continues to uphold the highest standards of democracy.

Many Canadians are concerned about the consequences and influence of money on our political process. With Bill C-76, we are ensuring that our electoral process is more transparent and fair. The bill creates a pre-election period beginning on June 30 of the year of the fixed-date election and ending with the issuance of the writ.

During the pre-election period, third parties will have a spending limit of approximately $1 million, adjusted to inflation, with a maximum of $10,000 per electoral district. This spending limit will include all partisan advertising, partisan activities and election surveys. During the election period, there will be a spending limit of approximately $500,000, and a maximum of $4,000 per electoral district in 2019.

This legislation will require third parties that spend more than $500 on partisan advertising and activities during the pre-writ and writ period to register with Elections Canada. Third parties will also be required to open a dedicated Canadian bank account and use identifying tag lines on all partisan advertising. These measures will ensure greater transparency and provide Canadians with more information with respect to who is trying to influence their decision.

The Government of Canada must ensure that our democratic institutions are modern, transparent and accessible to all Canadians. We are committed to maintaining and strengthening the confidence of Canadians in our democratic process.

Building on the recommendations of the Chief Electoral Officer and the work of this committee, the elections modernization act will improve Canadians' trust and confidence in Canada's electoral system.

I look forward to your questions.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Thank you very much, Minister.

Welcome, Ms. Elizabeth May. I understand the Liberals are giving you a speaking slot later. Welcome to the committee.

October 15th, 2018 / 3:40 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

That is so nice.

Thank you, Chair.

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

We'll start with Madame Lapointe.

You have seven minutes.

3:40 p.m.

Linda Lapointe Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to welcome the minister and the people accompanying her.

The other day, the Chief Electoral Officer appeared before the committee. Following his testimony, I wondered something. As a result of the amendments proposed in Bill C-76, how many Canadians could exercise their right to vote outside the country? Has this already been identified?

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

As a result of amendments in the bill, approximately 1 million Canadians would be able to vote outside the country.

3:40 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

Does that also include both military and embassy personnel and expatriate Canadians working abroad?

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

Yes, that's right.

3:40 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

Like our colleague Mrs. Kusie, my brother worked in embassies, and did so for 20 years. I have also known expatriates. It wasn't easy to exercise your right to vote outside Canada.

How would Bill C-76 make it easier for these people to exercise their right to vote outside the country?

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

I don't think the Canadian electoral process will change for people living outside the country. The same provisions will apply to identity verification. What will change is that these people won't have to come back to Canada. They won't be subject to the limit of not living outside the country for more than five years. Canadians who spend more than five years abroad will retain their right to vote abroad.

Two general elections were held while I was living outside the country. I exercised my right to vote from the United States and Mexico. There are always very strict rules to follow to ensure the integrity of the vote.

3:45 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

I am pleased about this. Indeed, for everyone I've known, this situation was not simple.

I now have a more specific question to ask you. Since the introduction of Bill C-76, the Chief Electoral Officer has stated that the bill does not go far enough to prevent the transmission of misleading information. Should this bill be strengthened so that organizations and individuals do not intentionally mislead the public about elections?

As you know, there are many ways to make information questionable, unsound and non-transparent. What can we do about it?

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

I think it would be difficult, in the context of this bill, to ensure the integrity of information that is disseminated to the public. In my opinion, it is not the role of government to tell Canadians what information is good and what is not.

For social media platforms, however, this bill proposes significant changes to increase the transparency of announcements and ads. This affects not only social media platforms, but all media. Indeed, we could know which people had certain intentions or wanted to influence people, how they voted or what they thought about a particular subject.

3:45 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

So we could target both civil society and political parties, and check whether some want to disseminate misleading information.

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

There are some planned amendments or parts of the bill that make misleading information illegal in some cases. Following the instructions of the Chief Electoral Officer, who appeared before this committee, we recommended that this be more specific, since he could have certain powers in this regard. We have also given more powers and tools to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, since he could conduct investigations. If individuals or organizations were to disseminate misleading information about how to vote or about a party candidate, and it could be proven that this did not comply with the rules, these individuals or organizations could be investigated and punished.

3:45 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

You mentioned earlier that the bill proposed that the Chief Electoral Officer should have new powers to impose sanctions or even lay charges. Is that what you were referring to?

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

I was talking about the elections commissioner. After the last election, the Chief Electoral Officer proposed amendments to simplify the application of the provisions. So we suggested amendments to strengthen the commissioner's powers to enforce the act.

3:45 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

Do you think we should go further?

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

We need to see how these new powers will work during the next election. I look forward to receiving the recommendations from the elections commissioner and the Chief Electoral Officer after the 2019 elections.

3:45 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

How much time do I have left, Mr. Chair?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

You have 45 seconds.

3:50 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

That's a bit short for asking a question.

You talked about accessibility for people with visual or hearing disabilities. The bill sets out measures to facilitate access for these people. Will they be able to be accompanied by the person of their choice?

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON

That's exactly it.

Several recommendations made by the Chief Electoral Officer stem from the committee on accessibility to the electoral process, which heard from people from all regions of Canada. This is a suggestion they made to us, and we listened to them in order to facilitate the vote and give them more dignity in the process.

3:50 p.m.

Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Lib.

Linda Lapointe

Thank you very much. In fact, it's heartbreaking sometimes.

3:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Now we will go to Ms. Kusie for seven minutes.