Evidence of meeting #125 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.
6:30 p.m.
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
It's banning foreign third party activity at all times.
6:30 p.m.
NDP
6:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
It has 8250 at the end.
Can I get a comment from the officials on this? It's banning foreign third party activity at all times.
6:30 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
This would be doing exactly that. I'm not commenting on the policy here, but from a drafting perspective, I think we would still have some hurdles to go over. This motion would reframe the definition of pre-election period.
Sorry, I'm looking at the French version and I'm trying to translate into English at the same time in my head. I should just look at the English version.
Partisan advertising and partisan advertising expenses are also defined terms. Partisan advertising is advertising that is done during the pre-election period itself. If you were to go ahead with this motion, I think there would need to be a little bit more work to make it work here as intended. As I mentioned earlier, the new division 0.1 would not prohibit foreign entities from incurring expenses outside of the election and the pre-election period, but it would also need to fund them exclusively using funds of Canadian origin.
6:35 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
As the bill is right now, a foreign third party can spend all the money but it has to be raised within Canada. Is that right?
6:35 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes. As the bill is written now, as amended by earlier motions, foreign third parties cannot incur any of the following expenses during the pre-election period. When we get to the other division or section of part 17, there is an equivalent provision for expenses incurred during the election period.
6:35 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Again, a foreign third party can spend only money that was raised within Canada.
6:35 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes, but during these two periods they cannot incur any expenses for these purposes.
6:35 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Under this amendment they can't, but I'm talking about the bill as it sits unamended right now.
6:35 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes.
6:35 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
A foreign third party can raise and spend money but only if it's raised in Canada.
6:35 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes, and only if it's incurred outside of the election and pre-election period.
6:35 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
This would say, across the board, forget it. It wouldn't matter where you raised the money or when you planned to spend it; a foreign third party could not spend money.
6:35 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
They could not spend money for these purposes, yes.
6:35 p.m.
Liberal
6:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
We'll have a recorded vote on the CPC amendment with the reference number of 10008250.
(Amendment negatived: nays 5; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Since CPC-89 was withdrawn, we will now go to CPC-90. If CPC-90 is adopted, LIB-28 cannot be moved, as they amend the same line.
Would the Conservatives present amendment CPC-90.
6:35 p.m.
Calgary Midnapore, CPC
Essentially, we are requiring more than the third party's name in its identification in ads, as recommended by the commissioner of Canada elections. We're also asking that we get its telephone number, its civic address or Internet address.
As I said, this was recommended by the commissioner of Canada elections.
6:40 p.m.
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
All three parties have submitted something similar in regard to this, so we're proposing an amendment, which I believe has been circulated already.
No, it hasn't been circulated already.
