Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Oct. 18th, 2018

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Why?

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Because then it would not come into force. It would be to affect the coming into force of the pre-election period.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Would it prevent it from coming into force in the pre-election period?

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Am I correct that this prevents the coming into force of the pre-election period rules if the bill is delayed past a certain point?

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

This amendment provides that if clause 262 of the bill, which is on page 153 and provides for the maximum partisan advertising expenses for a political party during the pre-election period, were to come into force after June 30, 2019, then it wouldn't apply to the pre-election period, which means that there would not be any maximum partisan advertising expenses for political parties during the pre-election period preceding the 2019 election.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Is the effect of this, then, that all the pre-election advertising limits we've placed in Bill C-76, if the election were called earlier, would be voided?

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

It's irrelevant of the date on which the election is called. This is only relevant to the beginning of the pre-election period, which is June 30. This amendment would only affect the limits on political parties. It would not affect the limits on third parties.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Yes, and how would it affect those limits?

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

On third parties...?

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

No, on the political parties.

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

They just wouldn't apply at all.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

That's my point. All the limits that we've just placed on political advertising in the pre-writ period, if we were to pass CPC-195 and an election were called early—

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

No.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

No? It's irrelevant to that.

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

It is an incentive to delay the royal assent past January 1.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Because if royal assent is delayed then—

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Then they don't have a spending limit.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

You crafty....

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Actually, I have a question of clarification for our officials.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

That is very sneaky.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

In a scenario where the government doesn't take the wisdom coming from the Conservative Party, in a case where royal assent is provided for this bill at a date past January 1, so that in fact the coming into force of this bill would be mid-July of 2019, how would Elections Canada deal with the coming into force in the middle of a period where this would apply?

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

I'd first like to mention that the Chief Electoral Officer has the power to bring into force various provisions of the act upon the publication of a notice in the Canada Gazette, provided that the preparation for the coming into force of those specific provisions has been completed. The fact that the bill would receive royal assent after January 1 would not be an indication of the applicability of this section.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

You're saying that the CEO would, in fact, provide written notification that this would be something he could implement.

[LCdr Jean-François Morin]

I'm not saying he would. I'm saying he could do it.