Evidence of meeting #124 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 election.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Thank you.
Is there any further discussion? All those in favour of CPC 10008654?
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 102 agreed to on division)
(On clause 103)
LIB-11 has passed as a result of LIB-9.
(Clause 103 as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(On clause 104)
We have another new CPC amendment, which is 10008541.
Would you like to present that, Stephanie?
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
Okay.
Essentially, we are requiring transfer certificates to be issued by specially designated election officers when you are voting in a location that isn't your own. We believe that these transfer certificates should be issued by these specially designated election officers. Again, it's just another safeguard that we are attempting to implement in an effort to verify the legitimacy of the electorate.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
This comes up in several amendments. Right now, any election officer can provide this transfer certificate, but these amendments are saying it has to be a “designated” election officer. I imagine the officials would say that in the new liberalized regime where there are different things, this defeats that purpose.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes and no.
I would like to correct you; sorry, Mr. Chair.
It would be untrue to say that any election officer can do something. I would refer you again to page 17 of the bill, line 34, in English.
In French, it's on line 40.
It says that returning officers have to designate election officers to perform certain duties in the act. Returning officers have to keep a registry of all the duties and functions they have assigned to each election officer.
Again, page 18 of the bill, on section 39 of the Canada Elections Act, reads:
An election officer shall exercise or perform, in accordance with the Chief Electoral Officer's instructions, any power or duty assigned to him or her by a returning officer.
The act already provides for that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Does the act allow the chief returning officer to designate someone?
LCdr Jean-François Morin
The act doesn't allow; the act requires a returning officer to designate specific functions to election officers, so no election officer can do anything without being specifically required by the returning officer to do it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Okay. Are people ready to vote?
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We'll now move to LIB-12. This amendment suggests that if a person gets a transfer certificate because they're working at a poll different from where they vote, where they're going to vote has to be in the same electoral district for them to get that transfer certificate.
Does a Liberal want to present this amendment?
Go ahead, Mr. Graham.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
It cleans up the consistency issue. Other parts of the act do specify that it's in the district. It's always been done implicitly, but this fixes the long-standing error.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
I think I would say that this is only an oversight, because prior to Bill C-76 the election officers were required to reside in the electoral district, so of course if they were assigned to a polling station, it would be in the same electoral district. Now that we're allowing them to work in another electoral district—
LCdr Jean-François Morin
No, any electoral district.
Of course, electors can only vote in the electoral district in which they ordinarily reside, so this is a consequential amendment to that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Is there any further discussion?
All in favour of this amendment?
(Amendment agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Thank you.
Shall clause 104, as amended, carry?
(Clause 104 as amended agreed to)
(On clause 105)
We're at clause 105.
Again, we're back to designating. Do you want to present it?
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
No. I don't think there's any necessity for further discussion on it. We'll move it and vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
All in favour of CPC-37, please signify. All those opposed?
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
(Clause 105 agreed to on division)
(Clause 106 agreed to)
(On clause 107)
We have CPC-38. This is another one about removing the vouching system, so we could just go to a vote.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
This applies to CPC-40, which is on page 71. It's related by concept of identification.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
It's defeated, as is CPC-40. We will go on to CPC-39.
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
Again, I will just move it and go to the question.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
This is back to more identification.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])
NDP-9 was consequential to NDP-8, so that has been dealt with.
On NPD-10, this is the fourth one related to seniors homes. Are you going to present this, Mr. Cullen?
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I will rely on the advice of our analyst, through you, Chair. Remind me about the Liberal amendment on care providers, because I think they were permitted to be in a different electoral district, as we discussed. Was it the same, or was it adjacent? I ask because you just used that language about adjacency. Can someone remind me if the Liberal care provider had to be in an adjacent electoral district, or was it any district?
I believe NDP-10 allows for any electoral district. I'm trying to remember back to Liberal....