Evidence of meeting #9 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was elections.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:35 p.m.
Liberal
November 12th, 2020 / 12:35 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
Thank you so much, Madame Chair. I also would like to take an opportunity to thank Madame Potts for being with us today. Thank you for your opening remarks, your clear answers and your straightforward responses to our many questions.
The committee members, like you, certainly want to do all that we can to alleviate the challenges that our first nations communities and many other vulnerable groups face when it comes to voting.
We've talked a lot about mail-in ballots. I come from New Brunswick, and I can tell you that mail-in ballots for the general population are not something we utilize freely here. We just don't think of them. However, if we do have an election during the pandemic, we certainly recognize that mail-in ballots will be a tool that we hope more people will use.
Assuming that Elections Canada can make mail-in ballots more accessible for first nations communities, how do you think we should communicate the use of mail-in ballots? What should be the communications strategy to make sure that first nations understand and appreciate that this could be a good tool for them to exercise their right to vote?
12:35 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
Early communication on the process for mail-in ballots would be essential. Communication in first nations languages would be helpful, including communication on first nations local radio stations. I think early communication on all fronts would be helpful to support that option.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
Great.
Could you explain to us the relationship between the AFN and the Chief Electoral Officer when we're not in a pandemic and now that we are in a pandemic? Is there a difference with respect to the level of communication that takes place?
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
I'm trying to have a good understanding of that question. We don't communicate with the Chief Electoral Officer, so it's difficult for me to answer that question.
We have had a relationship with Elections Canada, generally, to provide outreach services on the federal electoral process for almost a decade. It's intermittent. It's when an election does happen. For 2019, we started working to share information with first nations on how they could participate in the federal electoral process.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
In sharing information right now and preparing for an eventual election, whether it's during a pandemic or not, have those communications started already with them?
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
We also know that several provinces have had provincial elections over the past few months. I'm wondering if there's any information that you could share with us with respect to best practices within the provincial elections.
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
I don't have anything to add. I did review the remarks from chief electoral officers in those provinces. I think that it would be best to reflect on those remarks or go specifically to first nations that participated in those elections to discuss the provincial processes.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
Great.
To alleviate the many challenges that exist—and I know that you've given us a summary—what supports would be needed to ensure that first nations can fully participate in this process, even during a pandemic?
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
Again, I suggest respecting first nations' jurisdiction; making sure that there are mail-in ballots, making sure that first nations are represented as staff at the polls, making sure that staff are adequately trained on the history of disenfranchisement that first nations have had with regard to the elections process, ensuring they have adequate IDs so that we don't continue to disenfranchise first nations in the elections, and of course making sure that first nations are afforded the resources so that there are safe and sanitary conditions should there be a polling station in their community.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
I'll be very quick. I know my time's almost up. You may not have the answer to this, but do you know what percentage of polling staff are first nations?
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
I do not. This is because they do not keep track of it. One of our recommendations in our report to Elections Canada is that they start to measure this.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Ginette Petitpas Taylor Liberal Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB
Thank you so much, Ms. Potts. I appreciate your time.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC
Is first nations voter turnout higher in federal or provincial elections?
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
I don't have that statistic.
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC
All right.
Are there provincial differences in first nations voter turnout, or are the numbers approximately the same?
12:40 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
I don't have that statistic available. I think it would vary, election by election.
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC
Okay.
In provinces with more first nations people, could that number be higher because they are perhaps more involved in public affairs? Does that make sense?
12:45 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
Again, it's speaking to factors influencing participation. I think more outreach is needed in the number of.... There's a population impact of voter turnout. I don't have that information.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC
Okay.
I have one last question. When candidates are members of first nations, does first nations voter turnout increase significantly?
12:45 p.m.
Director of Policy and Research Coordination, Assembly of First Nations
Generally, academic research in not just Canada but also in other countries has shown that people tend to turn out to vote for someone who represents them. I can say generally that this has a positive correlation with voter turnout, but I can't say definitively for the Canadian situation. More research is needed in this area.
