Evidence of meeting #74 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 event.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Olivier Champagne  Legislative Clerk, House of Commons
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Andrew Lauzon
Madeleine Dupuis  Policy Advisor, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office

11:50 a.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

It's not an unreasonable request.

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

While we're bringing this up, Mr. Chair, I should raise something.

I'm in the process, as a side project in my role as an MP, of trying to collect and put online all the documentation relating to the original design of the various parts of our Constitution, and the same problem we're encountering here occurred when the Constitution was being designed. It wasn't always clear that everybody who was involved knew what the implications were of various words that were being put in. Based on that lesson, it's always good to take our time and make sure we understand what we're doing.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

That's interesting.

11:55 a.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Did they do something wrong in the construction, given that?

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

You're not asking that in the sense of whether they did things that could have been done better; you're asking whether they made mistakes. I think some people misunderstood, or understood incorrectly what was being done. That's always a danger.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Maybe if we get into another filibuster, you could elaborate on that.

11:55 a.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

You have to wait till then, Mr. Christopherson.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

The officials are ready.

11:55 a.m.

Policy Advisor, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office

Madeleine Dupuis

The suggested amendment would not add any advertising requirement, because that's a separate provision. What it would do is make the 30-day reporting requirement apply during an election, and at the same time the requirement to file a report after an election within 60 days would also still be valid. You would have the double reporting requirement with that amendment.

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Forgive me; you would effectively have to report twice. Is that right?

11:55 a.m.

Policy Advisor, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

On the same thing.

11:55 a.m.

Policy Advisor, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

Is there a way, Ms. Dupuis, that we could simply have the 30-day requirement apply?

11:55 a.m.

Policy Advisor, Democratic Institutions, Privy Council Office

Madeleine Dupuis

The proposed subsections afterward in the bill—384.3(8), 384.3(9), 384.3(10), 384.3(11), 384.3(12)—all deal with reporting after an election, so those subsections would have to be removed.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

I am so confused. Wasn't the original requirement of 30 days in the amendment that the Liberal amendment...? No, the original was a 30-day requirement, so what more do you want, Mr. Reid?

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON

I'm trying to incorporate Ms. May's. I'm doing it on the fly and I'm not sure that I'm accomplishing it, which is why I'm asking these questions.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

Yes, okay.

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell

Go ahead, Mr. Christopherson.

11:55 a.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Chair, does all of this not turn on the issue of whether there should be a priority in getting this information out during an election so that the public has the benefit of knowing it, rather than after? Isn't that the issue in front of us? We've already captured the accountability part, so that's there. The question is whether or not fundraising during a campaign would be subject to some of these accountabilities during the course of the campaign. Is that not the difference?

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

The average writ period is how long?

11:55 a.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Well, the average just went up. If you mean the median—

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

It's 35 days.