Procedure and House Affairs Committee on Nov. 19th, 2020

[Stéphane Perrault]

I'm sure you'll have some pointy questions for them, but we have an ongoing relationship. I have the privilege of making sure my staff can ask all the questions we need to ask of them, so I'm not going to suggest questions for the committee.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

I have one last question, which I think Mr. Blaikie touched upon.

When we invited a representative of the Assembly of First Nations, there was talk about a need for additional training as early as possible. I'd like to draw your attention to that. Even though we don't know the timing of the election, and I know you answered that, I just want to emphasize that it would be really necessary to coordinate with first nations on reserve to make sure they have the right training and the right representation there.

[Stéphane Perrault]

I want to make a nuance here between training and engagement and information. As we prepare for the election, we certainly need to engage and share some information, but actual training, of course, depends on who's going to be working and what exact procedure will be in place. That has to take place during the writ period and not before.

The basic point is true. We need to engage beforehand, and that's our plan.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga Centre, ON]

Thank you.

Dr. Duncan, it's your turn.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you so much to my friend and colleague, Mr. Alghabra.

Mr. Perrault, the greatest tragedy of this pandemic is the lives lost in long-term care homes. Should an election be called, I want to ensure the health and safety of those living in long-term care.

We have long-term care outbreaks in multiple provinces. I can talk about my own province. We had 100 long-term care homes in outbreak, with over 700 resident cases and 500 staff cases on November 13.

We've heard many recommendations, such as no polling stations in long-term care, no election workers in long-term care and not taking residents out of the home to vote. I want to know if you could table with the committee what you are looking at in terms of protections in long-term care and ensuring people's right to vote. Who are you listening to when it comes to protecting their public health?

[Stéphane Perrault]

As I indicated, we are working on various options to bring in more flexibility for voting by mail or in-person voting in the homes. We have no plans to take seniors out of long-term care facilities during a pandemic, of course.

We are developing those options, but in the end, as I said, there will be local variations. We have to adapt to the reality of the staff and the people there. There will not be a crystallized final set of procedures that is going to be applied everywhere. We really need to be flexible.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

I understand that, and I assume you'll be listening to local public health. No one wants infection from the community into long-term care.

[Stéphane Perrault]

Absolutely, of course that is our goal.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you so much.

That is all the time we have today.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Madam Chair, if I might.... I'm sorry.

Before our witness leaves, I'm wondering if I could ask for a response to my last question in writing to the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Yes, that's right. Would you like to remind M. Perrault what that question was?

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Sure. It was just looking for some reassurance that they'll avail themselves of the unfortunate opportunity of current lockdowns to get a sense from provincial public health officials of the conditions under which they might make public health orders that make the administration of an election impossible.

[Stéphane Perrault]

We'll be happy to respond to that.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Thank you, Monsieur Perrault, Mr. Roussel and Mr. Limoges.

You haven't even had an opportunity to speak at all today. Is there anything either of you would like to say before we adjourn for today?

[Marc Limoges, Chief Financial Officer, Elections Canada]

I have nothing to add.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

It was a pleasure to have all of you here today.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

I have a point of order. Are we going into committee business? What is the plan now that it's 12:40 p.m.?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

I wanted to say goodbye to the witnesses and then we would discuss.... We have a budget to—

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Great, as long as we're going into committee business. That's what I wanted to ensure. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Yes.

Thank you for being here to all of you. We really do appreciate it. You're always here for us.

In terms of committee business, we have one small thing. We have a study budget that was sent around to everybody. We need approval on that budget.

After that, I thought we could use this time—because before we go in camera, it takes a little bit of time to switch to in camera—to go into our subcommittee meeting for the prorogation study. I don't know if the clerk has provided everyone with a calendar. We do have witnesses slotted in for the remainder of this study. We wanted to be able to discuss that as well in the subcommittee meeting.

Justin, I'll let you take it over for the study budget.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Justin Vaive]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yesterday I sent a draft study budget to the members of the committee. This is essentially a budget that covers costs associated with the current study that the committee is engaged in on conducting a federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's in the amount of $6,000. Most of the costs associated with that are to cover costs for the dial-in phone lines that we use in this hybrid committee set-up, as well as the provision of headsets to our witnesses who we've been inviting and hearing from in the committee.

There is also a smaller amount with respect to expenses relating to working meals that have been ordered for the members who are showing up in person to the committee.

Essentially, in order to cover these costs associated with the study, the committee does need to formally approve this budget. It then ultimately gets signed by the chair and then it will be sent off to the House of Commons financial administration people to ensure that these bills can be paid, which are the ones associated with this study budget.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ruby Sahota]

Does everyone have the budget before them?

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Chair, unless there are any questions from any of our colleagues—I'll ask that they speak up—I have no problem with this budget. So I move—