I'll try to be as brief as possible.
I totally recognize Mr. Therrien's point of valuing the expertise that the Chief Electoral Officer brings. The testimony is important.
I think we heard from witnesses within the study that we conducted—from some of the witnesses, I shouldn't say all—who very clearly indicated the benefits of having a Monday included due to public transit, child care access and shift work, etc. Having that Monday included was going to be important.
I recognize all sides of this debate and I understand it's a complex situation. Within a pandemic, I think we want to increase the accessibility for everyone, allow the most number of options and the greatest ability to socially distance, and ensure that we balance all of the factors. I think the three-day voting period, including the Monday, really gives us the widest array of options.
I realize it creates some logistical challenges, but from my perspective, if we start early.... As Mr. Roussel mentioned before, when there's a legislative mandate in place, Elections Canada does respond to the challenges. There are either challenges on one side or challenges on the other. I think the challenge of recruiting more people to have a safer and more accessible pandemic election is better than the other option.
Thank you for the opportunity to weigh in.