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.
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Yes, I care deeply. I don't know why. I'll find a reason while we're talking.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
I was just wondering with regard to the officials.... Is it not covered in the lines in the original that say, “be at given ones of those premises on different days of advance polling”? Does that deal with the spirit of this amendment?
I'm just wondering if that was already covered, because I was reading from the original, and it says, “be at given ones of those premises on different days of advance polling”.
While you're looking it up, maybe Stephanie can explain why you don't want two different advance polls on the same day in a rural riding.
11:30 a.m.
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
We think it provides clarity for the voters if it is in the one location for the one day.
I remember as a young child trying to follow the library bus around, and I would hate to see that same confusion extended to our voters.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
In thinking of our rural ridings, I don't know why multiple advance polls would be problematic.
11:30 a.m.
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
No, one location.... It's one location per day per poll, not multiple.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
This is trying to prevent a mobile poll from showing up from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and then picking up at 3 p.m. and going to 5 p.m. onwards for the rest of the day. This is clarifying that it's one location for that. It's not moving around throughout that day.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
You're saying that this one itinerant poll, the one mobile station, has to not be mobile all day?
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
That's right. On multiple days it can be in different locations, but for a given day it's not picking up midway and going on to....
October 16th, 2018 / 11:30 a.m.
An hon. member
Correct.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I guess I can kind of hear that. I just don't know if we want to get into that detail on the management of the Election Act. Maybe it's been a problem that's been identified by you folks, but I haven't seen it.
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Would your amendment.... In my riding, we have towns that are four hours or 300 miles apart. Would this prevent them from having their advance poll on the same day? As you know, Dawson City and Watson Lake are 300 miles and a 10-hour drive apart.
11:30 a.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
No. They're saying that the same mobile polling station, if I understand it, would be in Watson Lake from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. and then would pick up shop and be in Carcross from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
11:30 a.m.
An hon. member
Yes.
11:30 a.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
11:30 a.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I don't see why we need this. In my riding at least, in my experience the itinerant polls can go to a location and everybody who wants to go there is taken care of in 30 minutes. There's no point in sticking around for the whole day. That exact same crew can go to the next town 20 kilometres or 30 kilometres away and do that one too.
I don't know why you would want to adopt this.
