Evidence of meeting #144 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 signatures.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Principal Clerk, Chamber Business and Parliamentary Publications
As André mentioned in his presentation, if someone were to open a petition today, February 28, and have it open for 120 days, it could never be presented, so we'd have to put that warning up now.
Principal Clerk, Chamber Business and Parliamentary Publications
It's seven months before the election.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
If you guys were not clerks at the moment, do you have a personal opinion on...?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Do you see any rationale or fairness for the petitions not being the same?
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
The question you may want to ask yourself is whether citizens see the difference. What we're talking about here, certification of paper petitions, is something that's probably not known by a lot of people, I would say. The difference between this type of petition and the electronic type of petition is a detail that's probably not known by the vast majority of the population.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
But is there any rationale, in terms of fairness, to have different systems for the two?
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Yes, thank you.
If I wanted to hedge, I would always go to the paper and make sure that I have more than 120 days left, because now that petition is always there. If the House rises, I get that petition back and I can give it to another MP or myself to table without having to go and get the signatures, whereas if I have an e-petition, as in the case that I explained, and now I've decided not to, there's no way it's going to be able to be tabled, so now, when it comes to the next Parliament, if and when I'm back, I have to launch another petition to be able to do that, whereas I wouldn't need to do that with the paper.
Liberal
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
We're talking here about a very small window of time. It's usually at the end of a Parliament—
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
No, I realize that, but what I'm saying is that with the paper, I always have the opportunity to recertify it, whereas with the electronic petition, it's gone.
Deputy Clerk, Procedure
Yes. Some would say, however, that you're in a position to gather many more signatures with an electronic petition. I think around 1,300 people a day sign petitions on the website. It's up to members.
February 28th, 2019 / 12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
No, no, I agree. It is easier because it's across the country, while being able to get the paper across the country.... I totally understand and support digital.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
I'll take David's proposal as a motion that the status quo stay, and I'll open for debate on that.
Go ahead, Stephanie.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Is there anyone else?
I will call the question. All those in favour of leaving the status quo in place so that paper petitions can be reinstated in the next Parliament but electronic petitions cannot, please signify.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 4; nays 3 [See Minutes of Proceedings])
That doesn't preclude our revisiting the matter, but that's your decision for now.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Changing it would have required changing the Standing Orders, right?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
No, it would just be a report from us to Parliament, and Parliament would have to approve it.
Conservative
John Nater Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Chair, we talked briefly about that letter to the next committee, our letter to our future selves. That could be something we could include for further consideration at the next Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Sure.
Gentlemen, thank you very much. We always appreciate the great work you've done. This system is going to make it a lot more apparent to people.